Plans to devolve highway funding to Welsh local authorities welcomed

Carolyn Thomas, Welsh Labour Member of the Senedd for North Wales, said the plans to give local authorities more power over where transport funding is spent will give local councils more control to spend money in areas of most need.

Currently, grants of funding to local authorities from the Welsh Government are often tied to particular transport projects, such as Active Travel schemes, or Safe Routes to School.

The Senedd Member, a former deputy leader of Flintshire County Council, wants local councils to be able to use the money as they see fit, whether that be highway upgrades, pothole repairs, new cycle routes, or Safe Routes to School.

Speaking in the Senedd this week, Carolyn Thomas MS asked the Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates MS, if the Welsh Government "would commit to realigning the funding for local transport grants to what is needed?"

In response to her question, the Mr Skates said: “Carolyn Thomas has regularly identified road maintenance as a major issue for local authorities. I’m pleased to be able to tell members that I’m looking at future budgets for local authorities - active travel, road maintenance, the entire package - and how we can devolve the decision-making process and the money, so that local authorities can decide how best to spend the money in their local areas, because they know best.”

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Carolyn Thomas MS welcomed the decision, saying: “As a former councillor myself, I know that local authorities have the local knowledge and expertise to best determine where the money needs to be spent.

"In many cases, that will be on maintaining existing highways and repairing potholes. Whilst new projects are of course welcome, they shouldn’t be at the expense of maintaining our existing infrastructure.”

She added: “Whether we are using a bus, a bicycle, a car, or walking, we all benefit from well-maintained highways and pavements. But maintaining them has become an increasingly difficult job for local authorities faced with reduced funding.

"We need to ensure that our highways are both safe and free from potholes, helping local authorities tackle a growing problem, whilst boosting connectivity across Wales.”