6. Statement by the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales: Metro Projects in Wales

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:34 pm on 25 February 2020.

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Photo of Mark Isherwood Mark Isherwood Conservative 5:34, 25 February 2020

Diolch, Llywydd. I welcome your acknowledgement of the research showing that the HS2, if connected through the appropriate Crewe hub, will have a beneficial economic impact for north Wales and the wider region.

In March 2016, the UK Government announced its growth deal offer to north Wales and the Welsh Government. The following month, the Welsh Government announced its proposals for the north Wales metro, and I think the first time you mentioned it in this Chamber after the 2016 election was in response to a question from me about the north Wales growth deal offer. You mentioned the north Wales business council and, I think, the chamber of commerce, but what direct input has the north Wales growth board and economic ambition board had into the design and delivery of the evolving north Wales metro?

You say you will develop key hubs, you refer to Shotton as an example, to provide integrated bus services. Your written statement on the north Wales metro last October said you were working in partnership with Flintshire council and bus operators to deliver a bus quality partnership covering services. Can you provide an update on that, four months down the road, in terms of that partnership? And what, again, direct input, given their expressed interest in this, have community transport operators in north-east Wales had into the design and delivery of the north Wales metro?

You stated last October in your statement that, having initially focused on the delivery of the metro integrated transport hub approach in Deeside, you intend to roll out the concept to other key employment hubs, including Wrexham, Rhyl, Prestatyn, St Asaph, Abergele, Colwyn Bay, Conwy, Llandudno and the Menai area, and you made some reference to this earlier. Realistically, what timescales are you thinking of, notwithstanding a political clock in the future, to enable that to occur?

And finally, you refer to even greater focus on connectivity, decarbonisation, and integration—something that Helen Mary Jones referred to earlier—and your plans for Deeside industrial park, you say, will offer viable public transport options for commuters. In your written statement last October, you also talked about the new park-and-ride site and active travel routes on Deeside industrial park. However, I understand there's been a failure of connectivity. For example, only two double chargers are being installed for the 240 parking spaces in that park and ride, and even that only occurred after sector intervention with the council. So, how will you ensure better integration of decarbonisation technology as we take this forward?