Levelling up: Projects across Wales share £208m in funding

Stadler Citylink tram trains will run on new track between the Cardiff Bay and Cardiff Central stations

Cash for a Cardiff rail line, an Ebbw Vale engineering campus and a cycle route from Llandudno Junction to Betws y Coed has been announced Rishi Sunak.

Eleven projects in Wales will share £208m from round two of the UK government's Levelling Up Fund, though not all bids were successful.

The fund aims to make rich and poor areas more equal.

The prime minister said the aim was to "grow the economy, create good jobs and spread opportunity".

The Levelling Up Fund focuses on upgrading town centres, transport and improving cultural and heritage assets.

But the Welsh government said Wales remained over £1.1bn worse off than under previous EU schemes to reduce inequality while Plaid Cymru called the way levelling up money had been distributed "arbitrary and ad-hoc".

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The announcement includes £50m for a new rail line between Cardiff Bay and Cardiff Central Station, which is part of a wider scheme to upgrade south Wales' commuter railway.

There is also £9m for a new engineering campus for 600 young people in Blaenau Gwent and £18.6m to create a cycle route between Llandudno Junction and Betws y Coed in Conwy county.

The other eight projects are:

• £18m to refurbish the Grand Pavilion in Porthcawl

• £20m to build a leisure centre in Caerphilly, including a gym and swimming pool

• £20m to restore and regenerate three industry heritage sites in the lower Swansea Valley including Morfa Copperworks and Swansea Museum

• £18.8m to upgrade walking and cycling routes for the National Slate Museum and the Neuadd Ogwen arts centre in Gwynedd

• £17m for new walkways and cycle paths in Holyhead to help people explore St Cybi's Church and the Roman Fort

• £11m to restore historic monuments in Ruthin, including St Peter's Church and the town square

• £17.8m to restore the historic estate in the Vale of Neath and build new walkways and cycle paths

• £7.6m for the Pontypool Cultural Hub project to "transform derelict buildings into a thriving cultural centre" including a new restaurant

Mr Sunak added: "By reaching even more parts of the country than before, we will build a future of optimism and pride in people's lives and the places they call home."

Rishi Sunak inherited the Levelling Up plans from his predecessor Boris Johnson

His cabinet colleague, Welsh Secretary David TC Davies, said the funding would "regenerate town centres and historic buildings, create new cycle and walking paths through some of our most beautiful countryside, improve facilities for visitors, deliver transport solutions for Cardiff and contribute to the health and future job opportunities for people in the areas involved".

Swansea Conservatives leader, Cllr Lyndon Jones, welcomed the £20 million coming the city's way.

He said it was a "big boost", but added that not all of the city's bids were accepted and will "need to be re-worked".

Wrexham council leader Mark Pritchard said he was "extremely disappointed" at the rejection of a bid for money to build a new Kop stand at Wrexham AFC's Racecourse Stadium, to raise the ground's capacity to 15,500.

"We will not give up on these ambitious plans and we will continue to pursue other avenues of funding in order to complete the Wrexham Gateway Project," he added.

Aaron Hughes, from Wrexham, said it was a shame the club did not get the cash.

Aaron Hughes said it was a shame the bid for a stand at Wrexham AFC's stadium was unsuccessful

"It's a historic club," the 18-year-old said. 

"What Rob and Ryan are doing here is excellent. It would be a great shame for this new stand to not get in."

But he was confident there would be another plan. 

Ollie Williams, 17, said: "They were a club before the money. They'll still be a club after the money.

"As long as we can watch them play week-in week-out it doesn't matter."

'Overlooked'

Newport City Council says it's been "overlooked" in this second round of grants.

The Labour-led authority bid for £20m to fund the introduction of a City of Newport National Technology Institute (NTI).

In a statement, the Newport Labour group said: "We are hugely disappointed that the Conservative government in Westminster has, once again, overlooked a bid from Newport.

"We believe in Newport, and we will continue to fight for, and do our best for our city and those most in need even in the toughest of times."

Barry missed out on funding for a new water sports centre and a new marina

Meanwhile, the leader of the Vale of Glamorgan Council said she was "disappointed" after hearing that Barry had missed out on funding for a new water sports facility at Barry Waterfront and a new marina at the site known as The Mole.

Lis Burnett, said: "We are naturally disappointed in the decision.

"We know that our bid was strong and would have delivered significant community and economic benefits for Barry."

'Delayed, chaotic process'

There was criticism of UK ministers' entire approach from the Welsh government, with a spokesperson saying: "Wales now has less say over less money and every decision on levelling up funding for local projects has been taken in Whitehall.

"The delayed, chaotic process is now costing jobs and other much-needed projects are being missed as a result of the lost funds.

"Today's news does not come close to meeting the funding promised by UK ministers in 2019."

Ollie Williams said "as long as we can watch" Wrexham "play week-in week-out it doesn't matter"

Ceredigion MP Ben Lake, who speaks for Plaid Cymru on Treasury matters, agreed that Wales was receiving much less cash than it had under previous EU schemes, and called the way the levelling up money had been distributed "arbitrary and ad-hoc".

"Ceredigion is among 11 Welsh local authorities that do not receive a penny in today's 'levelling up' round," he said.

"The fact that many of the areas that have been left out today are those in most need of 'levelling up', whilst some of the beneficiaries are among the wealthier areas of the UK, casts serious doubt over the appropriateness of the methodology used to allocate the funding."

Boost to economy

However, CBI Wales - which represents businesses in Wales - has welcomed the funding announcement.

Director Ian Price said: "The Levelling Up funding will boost the local economy and the potential for growth and jobs creation."

In particular, Mr Price praised the investment into a new railway line in Cardiff.

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