West Yorkshire receives major funding boost to transform transport system

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced that West Yorkshire will receive £830m to develop its integrated transport system.

Last month, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority submitted a £920m funding bid for a five-year City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) to the government, which resulted in the announced funding.

The authority hopes to use the funding to start developing its plans for a mass transit system and progress plans to improve the bus network with bus priority and more zero-emission electric buses.

West Yorkshire’s mayor, Tracy Brabin, welcomed the announcement: ‘West Yorkshire bid for the upper limit of funding as allowed by the Government, but our region needs even more, and with certainty over a longer time period, if the government is truly committed to levelling up. As the Prime Minister said, it is indeed a disgrace that West Yorkshire is the only major region in Western Europe without a Metro system, so we desperately need the government to address years of underinvestment in transport in our region.

‘We’re keen to get more details on this funding so we can start delivering a 21st century transport service in partnership with our local authorities. Our vision for a more accessible and inclusive transport system which helps us tackle the climate emergency is essential if we are to achieve levelling up. Everyone in our region has something to give and we want to make sure there’s fair access to jobs, education and training which means they can increase their skills and get better paid jobs.

‘I welcome the £830 million but I will be pushing for more. It’s good news though that the Government is finally giving us the boost which means we can start work on providing the transport system the people of West Yorkshire deserve. I’m grateful to all our region’s leaders for working so hard to deliver devolution, enabling us to be considered for this vital funding.’

In related news, Matt Hare, partner at Carter Jonas Cambridge, explains the government’s new policy paper on active travel and what it means for building places.

Photo by Dave Noonan