Yate park and ride plan receives £3.5m cash boost

The MetroWest project aims to improve infrastructure and cut congestion

Plans for a park and ride near Bristol have received £3.5m funding from the region's combined authority.

Originally £500,000 was earmarked for the Yate scheme, but South Gloucestershire Council said the cash boost showed "commitment" to the plan.

It is one of a number of transport schemes agreed for the MetroWest project aiming to improve road infrastructure and cut congestion.

Plans for a park and ride in Yate have been under discussion for 15 years.

A council-owned site in the area has already been allocated for the project.

The funding was announced at a West of England Combined Authority (Weca) meeting, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) reported.

South Gloucestershire Council leader Toby Savage told the meeting the scheme will "offer residents in our communities a further way to access public transport around the region, while encouraging commuters to step out of their cars, free up our roads and reduce carbon emissions".

A South Gloucestershire Council spokesperson added: "A number of options have been identified and the next piece of work, which Weca have now agreed to fund, will be the one that confirms the best location.

"Clearly the council-owned site is the frontrunner in deliverability terms, but we will now undertake the work necessary to confirm this is the best option to go forward with and to ultimately deliver."