Item 4 on the agenda this afternoon is a statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure on transport proposals for Deeside, and I call on Ken Skates to introduce the statement.

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I welcome this opportunity today to update Members regarding a number of transport developments in Deeside. It goes without saying that, as a Government, we are absolutely determined to spread prosperity and support economic development across all parts of Wales.

In March this year I launched my transport vision for north Wales and the north-east Wales metro. This vision is to create a quality integrated transport system across the region that maximises the economic opportunities by connecting people, communities, and businesses to jobs, facilities, and services. Improving connectivity goes beyond the regional border, which is why I’ve set up a transport steering group that brings together key partners from north Wales, Merseyside, and Cheshire to deliver my vision. The steering group will co-ordinate the development of a work programme for the north-east Wales metro as well as taking forward investments in other parts of the region. Over recent months it has worked with local authorities, business sectors, and bus and rail operators to develop a package of transport investments for delivery over the coming months.

The main focus has been on creating integrated transport hubs at key employment sites across north Wales and the wider Mersey Dee area. In north Wales these hubs are centred in the Bangor, Abergele, Rhyl, St Asaph, Wrexham, and Deeside areas. It is my intention over the coming weeks to announce a programme of metro initiatives in the Wrexham hub area, but today my focus is on Deeside.

My statement today will announce my decision about the preferred option for the Deeside corridor scheme, as well as outlining wider initiatives being taken forward in the Deeside area. I’ll be making further statements over the coming weeks and months to explain my proposals for the other hubs.

Transport integration is about joining up all transport modes, and the package of measures we are planning for Deeside delivers on all modes and improves infrastructure and services. Importantly, the improvements support the Deeside plan published earlier this year by Flintshire County Council. I would like to congratulate the authority on their plan, which identifies the transport interventions necessary to deliver opportunities for economic growth. The package of measures we are taking forward goes a long way towards meeting the aspirations within the Deeside plan.

Firstly, I am pleased to announce that, after taking into account the technical, social, economic, and environmental aspects of the Deeside corridor scheme, plus the outcome of the public consultation we held, I have decided to adopt the red route as the preferred option. This option, which includes increased capacity on the existing A548 and a new road between the A55 and A548, I believe, will address the transport problems we had previously identified in the A55/A494/A548 Deeside corridor improvement key stage 2 study. The proposed route will help address the chronic congestion the area suffers, it will improve journey times for both businesses and commuting traffic, and it will also strengthen the social and economic links between north Wales, Deeside industrial estate, Chester and beyond. Villages such as Oakenholt and Northop Hall will see the benefits from reduced through traffic on the A548 and B5125.

Deputy Presiding Officer, I will be publishing a TR111 plan in order protect the route under the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995. This means that the local planning authority will refer to the Welsh Government all future planning applications that are near the preferred route. The next steps will be to investigate further and develop a preliminary design. In particular, we will be looking at the environmental and engineering issues in more detail, taking account of the comments made during the consultation and looking at a junction strategy and options for side roads and accesses. The design will also take into consideration the demands that may arise from advances in technology such as connected and autonomous vehicles. It is critical that what we deliver with our investment today is fit for the future.

Following preliminary design, we will publish draft Orders under the Highways Act 1980 and the Acquisition of Land Act 1981. The draft Orders comprise the powers to establish a line, modify the side roads, purchase land and put in place any other rights we need to deliver the scheme. We will also be progressing the delivery of the A494 River Dee improvement scheme. This scheme will investigate options that will resolve the existing traffic bottleneck at this location of the network and overcome the serviceability issues with the existing bridge.

Our development work to improve connectivity by rail is also moving to the next stage. We are currently discussing with Network Rail the commissioning of further work on a new Deeside Parkway and co-locating Shotton higher and Shotton lower. The latter will enable a seamless interchange for passengers wanting to change between the Wrexham and Bidston line and the north Wales main coast line. As for Deeside Parkway, this offers an exciting opportunity to improve access to the business park, the introduction of park-and-ride provision, and facilities for road freight traffic. We will be working closely with Flintshire County Council to deliver these proposals further.

I have provided the local authority with funding to improve access to Deeside by sustainable modes. Over £1 million has been allocated to improve bus services and to encourage walking and cycling. Part of this money will be spent on developing bus interchanges, bus priority measures on the B5129 Shotton corridor and bus infrastructure on Deeside industrial park. The remainder of the grant will support the introduction of active travel routes within the Deeside industrial park. This will result in a complete network of dedicated cycleways on all access routes within Deeside industrial park, with seamless links to rail and bus hubs. Secure cycle parking will be built into the design of the transport hubs. The cycling and walking provisions in the Deeside industrial park will be used as the exemplar to guide the development of other key employment hubs across the region.

We are also working with local authorities in the Mersey-Dee area, and with bus operators, to develop a bus quality partnership scheme aimed at improving the travel experience and increasing passenger numbers. We’ve already invested £5.5 million in the Northern Gateway site to facilitate commercial development. Further investment of £4.7 million has been committed to continue with building additional road infrastructure, to open land for development and attract further businesses to locate at the site. This infrastructure will improve transport connectivity to and within the site.

All the initiatives I have described will go a long way to address the barriers to accessing jobs in the Deeside hub. They will also form one of the building blocks that will deliver a north-east Wales metro vision of a well-connected and high-quality integrated transport system.

Thanks very much for your statement. You refer to your establishment of a transport steering group to develop a work programme for the north-east Wales metro, referring to a range of partners in north Wales, Merseyside and Cheshire. Now, of course, there already is a working group, created via the Mersey Dee Alliance, the North Wales Economic Ambition Board and their partners. To what extent does this correlate with that and their proposals in their own vision, and of course 360, primarily in the context of rail?

The four hubs you describe in terms of north-east Wales miss out that huge area between Deeside and Wrexham, and particularly the areas where connectivity is poorest, in some of the smaller towns and villages. I would therefore welcome a comment from you on how that will be joined up, and those communities will not be left without access, particularly for young people to work, or older people to key services. In terms of your other hubs—Bangor, presumably you’re talking primarily about the bridge, or third crossing, or whatever that might be, and Abergele-Rhyl—to what extent do those fit into the north-east Wales metro? Because you’re talking about four hubs and the north-east, so what is the relationship between the two? Are we talking about something different, or is it one single project with four different strands within it?

You refer to the Deeside plan published by Flintshire County Council. You may be aware, as I certainly am, that again, as I mentioned before, many of the smaller towns and villages that aren’t on Deeside are concerned not to miss out on this connectivity, and I hope you would comment on that.

Now, it’s nine years since the public inquiry recommended to a predecessor Minister during the third Assembly that the previous proposal on Aston Hill should not go ahead, and we are where we are. I’m sure the residents of Aston Hill and the thousands living in the surrounding areas will welcome your decision to adopt the red option as opposed to the alternative. Clearly, the A55/A494/A548 corridor is below modern standards, with some of the slip roads being too short, too close, and generating poor visibility. We understand the red route would be an 8-mile road between the A55 and A548 with two lanes in each direction, leading to an increase in capacity and an improvement in journey times between the River Dee and Northop interchange. However, clearly your decision will not be so warmly received by the people living on that route. In your consultation, you said the red route would be likely to affect about 56 hectares of agricultural land and farm businesses and that mitigation would be by financial compensation and by accommodation works. Could you tell me what proposals you have to engage with those businesses and individuals who will be affected in relation to that mitigation and financial compensation?

There’s also, as I know from correspondence you’ve received that I’ve been copied on from local residents, a belief or a call for the need for a crawler lane, and good signage at the start of the red route, and I wonder whether you can confirm whether those will be accommodated or will be considered.

There’s also a call in certain quarters that, even with the red route, the A494/A55 interchange has still been listed by the Automobile Association as one of the worst in the UK, and that some action will be required there—not to increase the lanes, but to have better egress from the main highway.

You refer to the A494 Dee bridge. In the consultation you describe that as a separate scheme, but can you confirm, as I know to be the case, that the red route is dependent on that, and confirm how the two will work concurrently to ensure that the whole can deliver as intended? You refer to developments of bus interchanges and bus infrastructure. How do you respond to concern expressed by community transport providers in Flintshire that they resisted or rejected the offer from the council to take on some of the commercial routes, and that the pilot minibus schemes put into Kinnerton and Buckley being run by licensed taxi companies may not be viable after the initial additional funding runs out for commercial companies to continue, and also their concern that the north Wales transport for health group, set up by the Welsh Government, has not met since May 2016, and that the Welsh Government has not reconvened the meetings? Again, for many people, this transport connectivity is critical, but those who perhaps need it most are the most affected by its absence.

Finally, you referred to Deeside Parkway as an exciting opportunity to improve rail access to the business park. As you know, the Wrexham Bidston Rail Users' Association have highlighted that rail travel to work in Flintshire is only 1 per cent, less than half the overall Welsh average, that many employees have to use their car to access employment and those who can’t may not realise their employment potential, and that 20 per cent of interviews and job offers at the Deeside industrial park are declined because of transport difficulties—and that happened, in fact, to my own oldest son. Thankfully, he found alternative employment elsewhere. Do you propose that the location for the parkway should be adjacent or within Deeside industrial park, and if so, how will you mitigate the impact on Hawarden Bridge?

Can I thank Mark Isherwood for his comments and for his questions? I think many Members around the Chamber will welcome today’s announcement. Many Members have been consistent in calling for investment in north Wales to alleviate the congestion, particularly along this part of what is a key economic artery. I’ll deal with each question in turn, beginning with the last question that Mark Isherwood asked concerning Deeside Parkway.

I think this offers an enormous opportunity to break down barriers that too many young people—indeed, people of any age—face when trying to access job opportunities. The Member referred to the 20 per cent statistic in relation to those who are unable to undertake job interviews because they cannot access affordable or reliable public transport. That figure covers the whole of the Mersey-Dee area, and is part of the justification for viewing this initiative as a cross-border project to ensure that people in Wales can access job interview opportunities not just within north Wales but also across the border. And it will be essential that Deeside Parkway is located on the industrial park. The initial design and plans for the parkway—the cycle routes, the bus lanes—have been designed in such a way to enable people to shift from one mode to another and to travel seamlessly within the industrial park.

In terms of the steering group, the Member is right, we do not wish to have a multitude of organisations leading this work. The taskforce that was set up to look at what rail enhancements are required for the region has produced an outstanding prospectus, Growth Track 360. The steering group will take members from that taskforce and it will also look at additional membership from local authorities, because their investment in the north Wales metro will also be crucial indeed. It’s entirely possible that the growth deal could contribute to widening the scope and the scale of the metro in the years to come.

In terms of the design of the metro, it is intended to couple together communities large and small with primary places of employment. We’ve identified those initial hubs where work will take place in the first stages as a priority, simply because of the volume of people that are employed at those destinations and the prospects for jobs growth.

We’ve also coupled with the metro vision strategic economic development projects, and the Member is aware of the advanced manufacturing research institute that is being taken forward at speed and that will see one base at Broughton and another in the Deeside industrial park. So, we are coupling together employment opportunities with transport investment in the future.

I’m just going to touch on the public debate that took place regarding the preferred option. I do recognise that any proposal for a new road and for road enhancements can be controversial, but it was recognised by more than 80 per cent of those who responded to the consultation, or who attended the exhibitions, that local public transport, local public roads and trunk roads are vital to accessing good work opportunities and for social purposes. More than 80 per cent rated investment in transport as important or very important.

In terms of the preference for one route over another, the support for the red route stood at 74 per cent, for doing nothing at 5 per cent, and the remainder for the blue route. In terms of those affected—and clearly, had we progressed with the blue route there would have been incredible disturbance for many, many people living in the area affected, as well as a major impact of the competitiveness of the region, as upgrades would need to be taking place over a substantial period of time. As we move towards designing the specific route, we will be engaging with stakeholders and any compensation that needs to be made in line with existing arrangements will be discussed with landowners and property owners in the established manner. I do recognise that there is need as well for good and proper signage at the start of the current red route plan. Coming off the M56, or indeed travelling towards the M56, I think it would be hugely beneficial to have smart signage that is able to steer traffic away from accident black spots when they occur, and to ensure that travel through to north Wales and along the north Wales coast is as seamless and as smooth as possible. That signage, and the request for a crawler lane as the red route rises up towards Northop and Northop Hall, will be considered during the design stage. Likewise, I mentioned in my statement a junction strategy that will examine the safety and compliance at current junctions. It’s been found—. I know that the Member is well aware of many of the junctions on the A494/A55 interchange—you’ll be aware that some of the junctions are poorly aligned with the lanes, some of the slip roads are too short, some of the junctions attract a huge number of accidents and must be dealt with. Indeed, there were two tragic deaths in just the last month on the A494 at Aston Hill. So, the junctions will be dealt with via a strategy of improving safety, journey times and capacity.

Mark Isherwood raised the question of the A494 Dee bridge, and the need to ensure that this bridge receives the appropriate investment to upgrade it to a safe level and to make sure that traffic can flow smoothly where there is currently a pretty severe bottleneck, especially at peak hours. That work will take place whilst, in parallel, it will not be dependent on us pursuing the red route. That work must take place regardless of the Deeside corridor project. So, that investment will take place in parallel, but it’s not contingent on the delivery within a certain time frame for the red route, although we would wish to deliver both as soon as possible.

Finally, the Member has asked about the capacity on the existing A494 and A55, suggesting that at the Ewloe interchange there is work that’s required, even though we’re going to progress a red route. I would agree with the Member; that will form part of the strategic review of junctions. And along the A494 on Aston Hill, it’s a staggering fact that as many as 70,000 vehicles currently use that particular stretch every day—70,000 people or more using a road that was not designed for the twenty-first century, and that figure equates to several sections of the M4, and yet the A494 is only two lanes. So, it’s my belief that this work is long overdue. I also believe it will be supported by the vast majority of the people in the region, and that it will lead to the region becoming far more competitive.

Can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for his statement on the transport proposals in Deeside? And whilst I welcome elements of the statement, I do question the rationale behind bringing forward separate updates to this Chamber for the four hubs within the north-east Wales metro, given the obvious interdependence between the hubs as part of that metro project. I believe that we need to be discussing this in the round and in a holistic way. We need to be testing whether the metro project stacks up as a whole and I would ask the Cabinet Secretary to set aside Government time to enable us to do just that.

Turning to some specifics, as regards buses, plainly, the provision of timely and quality bus services will be a key test for the success of the metro project. Can I ask the Cabinet Secretary what consideration he has given to utilising new powers over the regulation of bus services to establish a publicly owned bus provider to deliver services as part of this metro project? And turning to the consideration of rail, obviously, Cabinet Secretary, while you have engaged with Network Rail on the commissioning of a new Deeside Parkway, as you’ve said, and co-locating Shotton high at Shotton low, we know, of course, that Wales is chronically underfunded in terms of rail infrastructure investment. After all, Wales, as you know, has 6 per cent of the UK rail network but only 1 per cent of the UK rail investment. So, what follows from that is: how are you attempting to ensure that Wales receives its fair share of capital funding, and what other projects are you currently pushing for in the wider north Wales region in order to further the capital investment in rail in Wales? Diolch yn fawr.

Can I thank Dai Lloyd for his questions and his comments? Bus reforms have been consulted on already, in the last 12 months. That consultation took place at the start of this year and ended in May. We’ll be taking forward, based on the consultation, a further piece of work in the spring of next year, which could, in turn, inform provisions within potential future legislation, but it is a very valid question about whether public bodies could and should run local bus services. It’s something that I’m personally in favour of, and I also believe that we need to ensure that corrections are made, as soon as we possibly can with the new powers, to some of the problems that have been in existence since deregulation in the 1980s. But, as I say, the consultation did take place in this area. It will inform a further consultation on the package of provisions that could be included in potential future legislation.

In terms of the Deeside hub and the other hubs that are proposed for north Wales, it’s a fact that Flintshire County Council have already developed a very effective Deeside plan that has informed the specific interventions within the Deeside hub as proposed today. We will be working with other local authorities on similar hub visions, and we will be linking them together through the metro concept. This is a system and a design that must serve local needs and be worked up with those local authorities where they’re going to be situated, rather than have them imposed by Welsh Government. I’m very keen to work with my partners across north Wales to ensure that the hubs and the metro system that link them operate for the people, and are designed by their local representatives as much as by experts and designers within Welsh Government.

In terms of investment in rail infrastructure, the Member is right; it’s 11 per cent of the Network Rail Wales route, but only 1.5 per cent of funding, in the latest control period, has actually come to Wales for infrastructure investment. That’s not acceptable. We made a powerful case for devolution of responsibility for rail infrastructure, and with it appropriate fair funding. We continue to make that call. In the meantime, we continue to press upon the Secretary of State for Transport the need to invest in Wales, and in particular in some of those projects that require urgent attention. The Member asked what other rail-related projects I believe should attract immediate attention and I would say the north Wales main line.

Thank you for your statement, Cabinet Secretary, although I must say I don’t welcome the statement and the decision to go with the red route. I appreciate it’s been a difficult decision and, yes, it’s very, very true that congestion at Queensferry is absolutely appalling. I used to have to commute through that interchange every day, and I know from personal experience it’s an absolute nightmare. But I don’t know that carving a new road across green space between Oakenholt and Kelsterton is the right way to go.

It seems to me that the blue route was the better option. I appreciate that it would have caused a lot of disturbance in the Deeside area while it was under construction, but what concerns me about the red route is that, effectively, you’re just moving the bottleneck further west. The problem we’ve got at Queensferry right now is that, effectively, you have four lanes narrowing into two, all of these different junctions coming off it, and, yes, okay, we won’t have the additional junction problem at the end of the red route, but you are still going to have four lanes of traffic combining into two lanes, which is going to create a bottleneck. So, I really don’t think that the red route is going to solve a lot of problems. I think it’s just going to move the problem further west to between Northop and Holywell.

Another thing that concerns me about the decision to adopt the red route is that, at the moment, that area that the new road is going to travel across—that’s currently a green zone; it’s currently a buffer zone between the settlements of Flint and Bagillt and Kelsterton, Connah’s Quay, and that conurbation in the north-east corner of north Wales. It concerns me that, with this construction of a new road, there will be encouragement to remove that green barrier entirely and, eventually, we’ll end up with a conurbation from Flint to Queensferry. Can you assure the people of Flint and Oakenholt, and round those areas, and Northop, that their environment is not going to become subsumed, eventually, into a conurbation? What are you going to do to protect that green space?

Another thing that worries me is that—. I’m all for co-operating with the north-west, I’m all for improving links, but we do have to be careful in north Wales because, at the moment, were already starting to become a dormitory for the north-west. I would like to hear what measures you’re going to introduce in the future to make sure that north Wales doesn’t become a dormitory for the north-west and the west midlands, courtesy of this new route and these improvements. I’m not criticising improving the road system or the metro or the rail network. What I want to know is: have you considered the long-term consequences? How are you going to stop north Wales being turned into a dormitory? How are you going to stop the A55 corridor from becoming a dormitory for England?

Okay, moving on to the consultation, you mentioned before that, you know, it’s gone out to consultation. That consultation period was eight weeks long. To what extent did you publicise that consultation? How many local people knew about the consultation in sufficient time to be able to respond adequately to it? And how many respondents did you actually get, and who were they?

Finally, you’ve mentioned £5.5 million that you’ve invested in the Northern Gateway. I’d be interested to learn how many jobs this money has generated and what sort of jobs they are. Are they higher paid jobs or low paid, and are they full time or part time? Thank you.

Can I thank the Member for her questions? The people of Aston Hill, Queensferry, Shotton, Saltney, Ewloe and Broughton I think will be very surprised that UKIP were so keen to support the blue route, because there is no doubt that the blue route would have impacted on the quality of life of a huge number of people. Even when completed, even when widened, it would have still led traffic up a steep hill that would have, in turn, created poor air quality for thousands upon thousands of people. Doing nothing, as the response has shown, was not an option. Only 5 per cent of those who responded said that we should take no action whatsoever. Seventy-four per cent supported the red route and, in terms of the consultation, I’m pleased to say that more than 2,500 responses were received to the consultation. More than 1,800 people attended the exhibitions, which were well publicised and, indeed, an additional exhibition was held at the request of one of the local Members, Hannah Blythyn, the Member for Delyn.

We will be working with the communities that will be affected and with those individual landowners and property owners to ensure that there is environmental mitigation and compensation, and that there is compensation for owners of property and land. But let me just pick up on one point that the Member made about people from the north-west living in north Wales. I’m not sure whether the Member is aware of this, but approximately 25,000 to 30,000 people each day cross the border from Wales into England to work. And approximately 25,000 people cross the border from England into Wales each day. As far as the regional economy is concerned in the north-east of Wales and the north-west, there is no border, and we should not seek to draw a slate curtain across a very active border—one that contributes massively to the GDP and GVA of the overall Welsh economy.

We need to strengthen that economy, generate better quality jobs, closer to people’s homes—better quality jobs for people who live in north Wales. But, at the moment, it’s possible to get from Manchester and Liverpool to Deeside industrial park in, what—40 minutes? On a bad day, on the A494 up Aston Hill, it can take just as long to get from Deeside industrial park to Mold. That is not acceptable. We need to make sure that people who live in north-east Wales have good, quick access to job opportunities in what is Europe’s biggest and one of the finest industrial parks. So, I make no apology for creating jobs and creating employment opportunities in Deeside industrial park; it should be something that UKIP is proud of.

In terms of the specific questions, technical questions about the A494-A55 interchange and whether it will move the bottleneck, I dispute that as well, because the option of the red route now gives two access roads into north Wales. One can be pursued for north Wales, another can be pursued for Wrexham, and therefore it will not move the bottleneck, because you will have an option of taking traffic off the Aston Hill, if it’s going to carry on through to north Wales, whereas existing traffic can stay on there if motorists wish to turn off for Wrexham or a south-bound journey onward to other communities such as Chester. I recognise that the Member will have her own opinions about the project and her own opposition to the preferred route, but I would urge her to base her preferences on the evidence, and the evidence clearly shows that the red route it the best option for the community and for the region.

As the red route, as announced today, will have a significant impact on my own constituency of Delyn, it’s probably my democratic duty here today to raise the number of concerns that constituents have raised with me and a number of wider points.

I want to start with perhaps what could be perceived as a somewhat pedantic and slightly parochial point in respect of the title of today’s statement, and that is ‘Transport Proposals for Deeside’. Because, if you look at the initial proposal map, with the red and blue routes, actually, a significant portion of that covers the communities of Oakenholt, Flint, Flint mountain and Northop, which fall outside the Deeside area. I’m more than happy to offer Cardiff-based Welsh Government officials a crash course on the respective communities of north-east Wales and Flintshire, but, on a more serious point—and I did raise this as part of the consultation process—I think, for this to be as accessible as possible for people, they need to understand that it is affecting their area as well, and that it is a consultation and a proposal for them to be involved with. I hope that this will be taken into consideration at the next stage of the process.

Whilst, as we’ve already heard, there’s been much local debate and disagreement over the two proposals put on the table, and I know that that disagreement and debate is set to continue, I think we’d be hard-pressed to find anyone in north-east Wales who doesn’t think that investment of some sort in our transport infrastructure is needed, and particularly in the key gateway into north Wales. However, Cabinet Secretary, you’ll be aware from my correspondence on this matter that a number of my constituents and communities in the area have raised a variety of concerns, which I want to briefly outline here today.

Of course, there are the wider environmental implications and concerns associated with any proposal, any new road of this size. And I know that the so-called red route will impact on a number of farms within my constituency, and we will see the loss of woodlands and public rights of way. Can I ask what work has been and will be done in respect of this, and what part will meeting our well-being of future generation goals play in terms of assessing the environmental implications of the red route as proposed today?

At £250 million this transport plan is a significant investment and it should also bring with it significant social benefits to the communities in the area, and I’d like to see any social benefit reinvested in the community and used to enhance facilities. You’ve talked about the active travel plans for Deeside industrial park, which I welcome, but can that actually go out further across Flintshire, to enable people to be able to cycle to work where possible, for people’s health and well-being? Cabinet Secretary, do you have a view at this stage on how social benefits could be used and put back into the community? Could social benefits coming from the road fund contribute, for example, to things like the capital programme to overhaul Theatr Clwyd?

Another point: understandably, my constituents are concerned about the impact the proposal could have on the surrounding towns that I’ve already mentioned, particularly the traffic through the likes of Flint and Northop, both of which can already be congested at peak times. Also, we’ve already heard how the new interchange and the converging lanes in Northop—. There are worries that that could have the impact of transferring problems just literally further along the road. What mitigating work has been done and will be done around Northop and Flint mountain? Has consideration been given to how the A55 resilience study that was going to—? Will that also form a part of this, because I know you’ve already responded to my colleague Mark Isherwood in terms of the possibility of a crawler lane? I think that should be given consideration as part of this, that this isn’t the be-all and end-all, there needs to be—. I think there are other problems along that route that need to be addressed.

The Flintshire bridge is a key part of the proposals. Do the proposals for improving this bridge ensure it’s fit for purpose? I know it can often be closed as a result of high winds and it’s still known as the new bridge in the area, despite being nearly 20 years old, and some locals have nicknamed it ‘the bridge to nowhere’ because if you go along it, you’re hard-pressed, perhaps, to see one or two other cars going along it. I think it will been referred to, how you’ve got this—. It’s been there for a number of years now, but people still choose to go up the Aston Hill to come into north Wales. So, what guarantee could you give, if this route goes ahead, that people wouldn’t still travel along Aston Hill and that that wouldn’t remain congested, as it is?

You referred to the village of Oakenholt in your statement. I know residents in Oakenholt have particular concerns with how the new road will affect the area. We’ve already seen substantial new housing developments in Oakenholt over the next few years. So, Cabinet Secretary, can you really be confident that the route as outlined will enhance Oakenholt and the surrounding area, and not do damage to the community?

Just briefly, to finish, moving from road to rail, because I recognise your statement did cover plans to progress the north-east metro, which I welcome. We talk a lot about connecting Deeside industrial park, which is really important, as the cornerstone of the regional economy, but we really do need to make sure that other communities towards the west of Flintshire are not left out and are not let behind, and that they are connected as part of the north-east Wales metro proposals. You’ll be well aware that there’s currently only one train station in my constituency, in Flint. Access to public transport for a huge swathe of the population of Delyn means buses and, to be honest, at the moment they are either not that reliable or do not connect up. This metro for north-east Wales does have the potential to be a massive economic enabler, not just for the region, but for individuals to better access work opportunities, to get to Deeside industrial park. I know in my own events, my Future Flintshire event that I held earlier in the year, there was particular concern about how young people were able to access work at Deeside industrial park if they can’t afford a car, or if they have got a car, often the cost of insurance for younger people makes that prohibitive.

I welcome the news to look at Shotton High Level, Shotton Low Level and the Deeside industrial park station, but could we, as part of the north-east Wales metro proposals, look at how we could actually develop stations further down the line to the west of Flint? I actually recently met with Holywell Town Council members, representatives from Network Rail and my MP colleague, David Hanson, to look at a potential site for a new station in the Greenfield Holywell area. Much of the structure actually is there—obviously it needs a little bit of work and enhancement—but it’s there from the old station. That station actually formed a key strategic point, not too far from the point of the Port of Mostyn, which links the advanced manufacturing sector of the north-east with the energy sector of the north-west, and this is where the A380 wings for the A380 Airbus go out or are shipped out to Toulouse. So, I would really urge serious consideration—and I’m happy to meet with you and officials to see how we can take this further—of a new station at what is being called Greenfield halt, or, actually, if we did do it, why not call it St Winefride’s halt to maximise on the heritage and tourist assets just on the doorstep of where that would be placed?

Just to wrap up, we are seeing large-scale investment in the pipeline in our infrastructure in north-east Wales. There are big proposals on the table, proposals such as the metro, that would bring huge potential for our area. But, in closing, I really, really need to call on the Cabinet Secretary to listen and act on the ideas and the concerns of the people, communities and organisations of Flintshire. I’ll be working hard to make sure my constituents have a voice, going forward in this process. I strongly urge the Welsh Government to make sure that the process is as accessible as possible to all communities in Flintshire, not just Deeside, and actively involve people from the communities across the county.

Can I thank Hannah Blythyn for her questions? I do recognise the need to ensure that the metro vision extends right across the entire region and to communities within the constituency of Delyn. I take the point regarding the title of the corridor proposal, and now that I’ve been able to announce that it is the red route that will be taken forward, I think we can revise the naming of the project to, perhaps, the north Wales corridor or the Flintshire corridor. I do think that businesses and the population of the region will welcome today’s announcement. The project announced £250 million of investment in north-east Wales, and is part of a £600 million investment across infrastructure in the region of north Wales—something that many businesses have called for time and again. I would hope that Members, whilst being sympathetic to their own constituents, would also consider that a regional, strategic approach to economic development and transport is of the utmost priority for north Wales.

I am very, very sympathetic—I really do like the idea of a St Winefride’s stop or a Greenfield stop as part of the metro, and I’ll certainly be asking the steering group to consider that as a very real, potential project. I think that there is also potential to have smaller scale hubs in other towns within Delyn, including the historic market town of Mold and in Flint, to ensure that large towns and small villages are better connected to the larger employment hubs and to rail services as well.

In terms of the community benefits that could stem from this project, clearly £0.25 billion is a very significant investment, and I would imagine that there will be huge potential for community schemes to draw down funding, direct, and in-kind assistance as well. Theatr Clwyd I am very keen to see invested in. It’s overdue a programme of modernisation and its capital project, I think, is very ambitious and has widespread support. So, I’d be more than happy to see that Theatr Clwyd is placed in a position where it is able to benefit significantly as a community benefit scheme.

In terms of Oakenholt and Flint and other communities that are near to the red route, the local development plan will determine much of the land that is earmarked for domestic building. Flintshire County Council, as the planning authority, will also be responsible for ensuring that any development that takes place is proportionate and that the community is able to accommodate any additional homes. I do believe that communities such as Oakenholt have a very distinctive character and a strong identity, and I would not wish those to be diluted through the encroachment of other communities onto Oakenholt or, indeed, a significant expansion of that particular community. Likewise, the other communities in the area—Northop Hall, Northop and Flint—I think it’s essential that they retain their identities and their unique characteristics.

The Member also asked about signage and how we will ensure that traffic that could use the new red route does use the new red route. It’s my intention to ensure that, as traffic comes off the M56 and on to the A494, there is ample signage in place to ensure that traffic wishing to access the A55 is able to be directed onto it.

In terms of the design process that will now be followed, I am confident that, through our new Welsh transport appraisal guidance scheme, we’ll be able to ensure that the well-being of future generations Act is adhered to. I think, so far, the process that we’ve followed has indeed recognised the ways of working that are promoted by the Act, including the inclusive way that we’ve gone about speaking with residents, engaging with residents, and inviting comment from residents and businesses. Of the more than 2,500 responses to the consultation, approximately 1,800 were in favour of the red route. There is considerable support for this project, and, again, I’m confident that this will lead to an improvement in the competitiveness and the connectivity of north-east Wales.

Thank you. And then, finally, the Chair of the committee. But with a question only, please.

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Cabinet Secretary, I welcome the creation of the steering group you mentioned. Can you outline in a bit more detail how you’re looking to strengthen cross-border working with the Department for Transport, Transport for the North, and others to ensure that you are taking advantage of the UK Government’s investment in HS2 and high speed 3?

Finally, while it’s right and proper that infrastructure in north Wales forges links with the north of England, it’s also important, of course, that infrastructure facilitates greater connectivity with mid Wales. You wouldn’t expect me to say anything different. I’d be interested to hear what your plans are to improve links between north and mid Wales, particularly in regard to how businesses can access and take advantage of developments in the north.

Can I put on record my thanks to Members of Parliament in the Wrexham area, Clwyd South, and also across the border—I’ve met with Owen Paterson on a number of occasions—for pursuing a campaign to see the dualling of the Shrewsbury to Ruabon route? It is an ambitious campaign, but one that I think demonstrates the need and the appetite for improvements in north-south travel on a cross-border basis.

We are also taking forward, at good speed, the Newtown bypass, which the Member is well aware of, again improving north-south travel. But, in addition to this, I’ve already announced the fund—the pinch points fund—that will address some major bottlenecks along the trunk road network, including at the Halton roundabout on the A483. I’m pleased that I’ve had initial scoping work back from officials, and it appears that we will be able to deliver upgrades at that particular point within this Assembly term. And, on a cross-border basis, I do think that the momentum that we’ve built up with Growth Track 360 and the taskforce has been immense and I don’t wish to lose that momentum. The steering group will have representatives from cross-border agencies, and I’m keen to ensure that the north Wales growth bid contains a significant proportion of transport projects to enable the region to be better connected and to align with the growth deal bid that is being constructed, and will be negotiated on, within the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership area.

Thank you very much, Cabinet Secretary.