'I continue to champion Wrexham at every opportunity in Westminster'

MP for Wrexham

After months of lobbying the UK Government and the Levelling Up Secretary, I am delighted that our new city has been awarded £20 million from the Towns Fund. Wrexham will receive £20 million to deliver projects that matter to local people over the next ten years. The money will be provided directly by the UK Government to Wrexham Council who will work with partners to ensure that the funding is used to deliver on local people’s priorities.

This significant Conservative Government investment breathes new life into our city which has been neglected for too long under Labour. Wrexham will have the freedom to deliver plans that address local priorities in areas such as our high street and heritage; regeneration, in addition to transport and connectivity. To ensure that Wrexham achieves its full potential, the UK Government is establishing a ‘Towns Taskforce’ which will report directly to the Prime Minister and the Levelling Up Secretary to support local areas deliver their long-term plans and help them to unlock investment and public support.

I continue to champion Wrexham at every opportunity in Westminster and it is paying off. To date, we have received £22.4 million from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, £13 million from round one of the Levelling Up Fund, £521,644 from the Safer Streets Fund, and now £20 million from the Towns Fund. To raise Wrexham even further, the Welsh Labour Government needs to support my calls for an Investment Zone. Instead of imposing a blanket 20mph speed limit, the Welsh Government should recognise that Wrexham is primed for growth, and it’s time to accelerate, not decelerate.

Last week, I attended the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester. I was especially pleased by the Prime Minister’s announcement last Wednesday which unveiled the UK Government’s plans to electrify the North Wales Main Line, enabling stronger connections between Wales, London and the North West. The redirection of the £1 billion initially allocated for HS2 towards this electrification project represents a substantial investment that will transform North Wales’ public transport infrastructure. Once completed, North Wales will be able to deliver faster, more dependable and more frequent services for both local residents and visitors.

After years of neglect under Labour, North Wales is finally receiving the attention and investment it rightfully deserves. This announcement is yet another testament to the UK Government’s commitment to the prosperity and development of North Wales. Now it is time for Transport for Wales, run by the Welsh Labour Government, to step up and improve the service from Wrexham to Chester.

Last Saturday, I was at Queen’s Square with the people of Wrexham to join in making a stand against the Welsh Labour Government’s planned cuts to North Wales’ Fire and Rescue Service. In case you were not aware, North Wales Fire and Rescue Authority recently ran a consultation on the future provision of emergency cover for Wrexham. Two out of the three consultation options proposed removing Wrexham’s third fire appliance (i.e., fire engine), maintaining one appliance staffed by wholetime firefighters and one retained appliance staffed by on-call firefighters who would not always be available. While the consultation has now closed, I wanted to thank all residents who took the time to have their say against these ludicrous cuts and to those who also signed my Fire Service petition.

Wrexham is the largest urban settlement in North Wales and we have one of the largest trading estates in Europe. This is a political choice. The Welsh Labour Government must not leave Wrexham in danger by cutting essential services which will cost lives. Thank you to the Fire Brigades Union for organising Saturday’s event. Together, we stood up for the safety of Wrexham residents.

As soon as I receive any information regarding the outcome of the consultation, I will update residents via my website and social media.

If you are a resident in the current Wrexham constituency and need my help with any issue, please don’t hesitate to contact me by email at sarah.atherton.mp@parliament.uk.