North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has challenged the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure this week over how the Welsh Government is increasing transport infrastructure in North Wales.
Questioning Ken Skates AM in the Assembly Chamber yesterday, he said:
“you have said that the initial assessment of possible new stations has prioritised the proposal for a station at Deeside Industrial Park/Northern Gateway, for further appraisal.
“How would you respond to the statement by the Wrexham Bidston Rail Users’ Association that a key factor behind what was their proposal for Deeside Parkway is the ability to provide a car park of sufficient capacity adjacent to the station, accessible to the sizeable population of Deeside, which Hawarden Bridge, Shotton and Hawarden can’t do.”
In his reply, Mr Skates agree that investment in rail infrastructure in the north-east of Wales is needed, but blamed the UK Government for the lack of it.
Mr Isherwood added: “I regret the Cabinet Secretary’s partisan and ill-informed comments. Many residents in North East Wales drive to the large car park at Hooton Station to travel into Liverpool, and are likely to continue to do so unless adequate accessible parking is provided for them at a suitable location on the Wrexham-Bidston line. It was the UK Government, not the Welsh Government, which opened the door to a Growth Deal for North Wales, and it is this which has driven the ‘Team North Wales’ response, with rail investment at its core, and calls on Mr Skates and the Welsh Government to let them establish a North Wales Regional Transport Authority to prioritise schemes from across the region.
“Following the UK Government’s allocation of £10.4 million for the Halton Curve Scheme, the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority approved the Full Business Case and release of additional funding for delivery of the £17.86 million Scheme on 15th April 2016. This will open up leisure and work opportunities by offering new connections between Liverpool, Liverpool John Lennon Airport, Runcorn, Frodsham, Helsby and Chester, but only to North Wales in future.
“Although connections between Liverpool and North Wales via Halton Curve need Welsh Government approval and funding, we are still waiting. As for the redoubling of the rail line between Wrexham and Chester, the Welsh Government reduced the originally planned 7.5 miles by two miles without consulting those travelling the route, thereby ruling out the extra capacity needed.”
ENDS