Welsh Government has confirmed its funding allocations to Rhondda Cynon Taf across its Resilient Roads Fund and the Local Transport Fund for the current financial year – which totals £1.3m across the two programmes.
The Council has welcomed this significant funding support, to complement its own important funding allocations outlined within the £27.665m Capital Programme for Highways, Transportation and Strategic Projects in 2023/24.
The Resilient Roads Fund has supported the Council over several years, to target priority drainage improvements on areas of the road network that have a history of flooding. The £900,000 funding secured this year will deliver and further develop projects – ranging from carrier line upgrades to overland flood mitigation measures, culvert improvements and ordinary watercourse works.
The Local Transport Fund also invites funding bids from Local Authorities each year, to help deliver the vision and priorities of the Wales transport strategy – and £400,000 has been secured by the Council in 2023/24. More details of the funding across both programmes have been included below:
Resilient Roads Fund (2023/24) – £900,000
- Strategic Transport Network Flood Resilience Project:
- This includes 13 schemes across the Rhondda and Cynon Valley areas, with match funding of £100,000 being contributed by the Council. The total investment is therefore £1m.
- Nine of the schemes will be constructed using the 2023/24 funding, along with the design of the remaining four schemes.
- The schemes will target two locations each in Trealaw, Ynyshir and Porth, and one location each in Aberaman, Llwyncelyn, Tonyrefail, Cymmer, Abercynon and Treherbert.
Local Transport Fund (2023/24) – £400,000
- A4059 Cynon Gateway North and the Llanharan Link Road (£200,000):
- To revisit the aims of these projects following the recommendations of the Roads Review, looking into how the traffic and transportation challenges in the respective areas can be tackled.
- Bus stop enhancements under the Bus Priority Scheme (£200,000):
- Focusing on local routes within Aberdare and Pontypridd.
Councillor Andrew Morgan OBE, Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council and Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Investment, said: “The Council continues to welcome important Welsh Government’s support to deliver targeted improvements to our highways network, focusing on priority areas such as maintaining our roads, flood alleviation measures, and promoting walking and cycling for local journeys. I’m pleased that £1.3m funding has been granted across the Resilient Roads Fund and Local Transport Fund.
“This funding is on top of Welsh Government’s support from the Active Travel Fund (£3.43m), Ultra Low Emission Vehicle Transformation Fund (£384,290), Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management programme (£3.82m) and Small Scale Works Grant (£1.003m) – as well as a fully-funded programme of Storm Dennis infrastructure repairs. These avenues, combined with our own major funding, are enabling a huge investment across our road network this year.
“The new Resilient Roads funding will continue our work to deliver targeted drainage improvements on our highway network. The Council carried out 40 schemes over the last three years, using around £8m in Resilient Roads grant funding – with work completed at key locations last year such as A4061 Rhigos Road, the A4059 at Newtown, and Abertonllwyd Street and Dunraven Street in Treherbert. A further 13 schemes will be progressed with the latest funding, with nine being delivered in 2023/24 and the others being developed.
“The Local Transport Fund has identified £200,000 funding to look at tackling traffic challenges in Llanharan and the upper Cynon Valley. This follows the feedback from the Roads Review on the proposed transportation projects for these areas. It also allocates £200,000 for bus stop upgrades in Aberdare and Pontypridd, to continue our investment in local facilities. Bus stops were improved along the route between Porth, Tonyrefail and Gilfach Goch last year, following a similar investment from Abercynon to Aberaman in 2020/21.”
Posted on 29/09/2023