Local Transport Fund and Resilient Roads Fund: guidance to applicants 2022 to 2023

The purpose of the Guidance is to advise the priorities that Welsh Government will support through the Local Transport Fund and Resilient Roads Fund to local authorities in Wales in 2022-23. 

It also sets out the process by which local authorities should submit applications in line with these priorities, for consideration by the Welsh Government, and how they will be assessed.

In your applications you must demonstrate that you have followed the Welsh transport appraisal guidance (WelTAG). The application forms reflect the WelTAG approach.

The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 requires public bodies to think more about the long-term, to work better with people, communities and each other, look to prevent problems and take a more joined-up approach.

The 2015 Act, places a duty on public bodies to seek to achieve the well-being goals and objectives in everything they do.

Llwybr Newydd: A New Wales Transport Strategy (WTS) is our strategy for the future of transport in Wales. It sets out our ambitions for the next 20 years and our priorities for the next 5 years. This forms the basis of the grant objectives.

Llwybr Newydd: the Wales Transport Strategy 2021

Cabinet meeting: 1 March 2021

In your applications you must demonstrate that you have developed your proposal using the five ways of working and that your proposal maximises your contribution to the WTS ambitions that are aligned to the well-being goals.

Well-being of future generations act: the essentials

In your applications you must demonstrate how your proposals will meet the grant purpose/ objectives.

Local Transport Fund

• deliver the vision and priorities of Llwybr Newydd in a way that is good for people and communities, good for the environment, good for the economy and places, good for culture and the Welsh language
• deliver an accessible, efficient, sustainable transport system that is safe, well-managed and adapts to and mitigates for climate change
• deliver the priorities in Llwybr Newydd: 
  • bring services to people in order to reduce the need to travel
  • allow people to move easily from door to door by accessible, sustainable transport services and infrastructure
  • encourage people to make the change to more sustainable transport
• contribute to actions set out in Llwybr Newydd, including the 9 mini plans.

Resilient Roads Fund

• address disruptions caused by severe weather to the highway network, especially to the public transport network

Local Transport Fund and Resilient Roads Fund: local authorities are invited to submit applications for existing schemes only. An existing scheme is defined as one which received a grant allocation in 2021-22 from Local Transport Fund or Resilient Roads Fund. Priority will be given to schemes that are well developed and either under construction or about to start construction.

Road Schemes: In June the Deputy Minister for Climate Change announced the roads review and said that schemes would be able to progress to their next natural decision point. For schemes funded by Local Transport Grants, the next decision point is annual grant funding decisions. Given the panel is due to report in June 2022, future funding decisions on applications for those projects that are flagged in the interim report as in scope of the review will not be taken until the summer.

Regional bus core allocation: we want local authorities to work regionally to identify priority bus corridors and measures, and to develop a pipeline of schemes to enhance bus infrastructure. We intend to award a regional core allocation to support this work. This would ensure that every region in Wales has funding to deliver the WTS priority of modal shift to bus by improved accessibility to public transport, especially for those with protected characteristics. It also supports the forthcoming launch of Bws Cymru. Further information will follow.

All applications for new and existing active travel schemes should be submitted to the Active Travel Fund.

All schemes must comply with the Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013 and its supporting Guidance. Schemes that include highway improvement, construction, or traffic management must show how they comply in particular with Section 9 of the Act (Provision for walkers and cyclists in the exercise of certain functions).

When designing schemes, local authorities must also consider their responsibilities under Section 6 –The Biodiversity and Resilience of Ecosystems Duty under the Environment (Wales) Act 2016. The duty requires that public authorities must seek to maintain and enhance biodiversity so far as consistent with the proper exercise of their functions, and in so doing, promote the resilience of ecosystems. This is for example highly relevant to the treatment of verges and planting schemes as part of transport projects. Guidance on the Duty can be found here:

Environment (Wales) Act 2016 Part 1 – Section 6 - The Biodiversity and Resilience of Ecosystems Duty: reporting guidance for public authorities

We encourage local authorities to work together and submit regional applications. The lead local authority must be identified for each scheme. Funding would be allocated to the lead local authority.

Local authorities should consult with the communities and stakeholders affected by the scheme including engaging and working with public transport operators where applicable. They should report on the process followed and feedback obtained, or, if the scheme is in its earliest stages, how they will do so, within their application.

Funding will be allocated up to the amount awarded for actual eligible expenditure incurred on an accepted scheme. Funding will be capped at the level of the award and the local authority will be required to carry the risk of any overspend that may occur. Where increased costs arise due to exceptional circumstances, outside the local authority’s control, Welsh Government may consider making additional funding available.

Local Authorities will be expected to deliver the schemes accepted in accordance with their applications. Reports on progress will be required at intervals throughout the 2022-23 financial year and further information will be included in the award letter.

Relevant Welsh Government officials or their nominated representatives, may request meetings or site visits to discuss scheme progress as considered appropriate. Failure to demonstrate appropriate progress with delivery may result in funding offers being withdrawn and funding claimed up to that point being recovered from a local authority.

Schemes that include match funding will attract additional scores in the appraisal process, with schemes that demonstrate greater levels of match funding scoring higher.  

Applications must clearly identify the levels and sources of available match funding and confirm this will be in place to ensure the completion of the works within the 2022-23 financial year. Match funding may be from internal or external sources and may include officer time.

Other than in exceptional circumstances by prior agreement, schemes submitted for works funding in 2022-23 should demonstrate that all land issues will be resolved and orders or required permissions are in place to allow works to progress.

Whilst Welsh Government is prepared to fund the cost of land purchase, funding will not be provided in respect of compensation claims arising from the land purchase or from the project itself.

The provision of capital support to schemes is conditional upon local authorities’ commitment to meet future revenue and maintenance costs.

All schemes must be monitored and evaluated. Local authorities are able to include the costs of monitoring for up to three years within their funding applications but these must be clearly identified. 

Schemes must be monitored for three years post completion and reported to the Welsh Government annually. Further guidance will be provided on reporting processes.

Applications should include costs associated with the promotion of schemes, including signage, materials and events, for up to three years after scheme completion. These must be clearly identified.

Local authorities should submit their applications using the relevant template application forms. All schemes will be assessed through an appraisal process.

Local authorities will be responsible for ensuring that delivery remains on schedule and reporting any change to the works programme and/or spend profile. 

Applications for capital schemes must include a plan showing the scheme in as much detail as possible at application stage and a map showing the scheme context. An OS GB grid reference must also be included.

Supporting documentation will be considered as follows:

• maps and plans in respect of capital applications (these maps and plans must clearly show the proposed measures)
• other supporting information, which you feel is essential to the bid, must be kept to a minimum and be anonymised, where applicable.

Applications will be considered by a panel of Welsh Government Transport officials and relevant external stakeholders as appropriate.

Final decisions on funding will be made by the Minister and Deputy Minister for Climate Change.

The assessment criteria for the grants are available separately, see Grant Assessment Criteria 2022-23.

Applications must be submitted by 7 February 2022.

An electronic copy of each application must be submitted to the relevant Welsh Government contact listed below via transportplanning@gov.wales

No additional or revised information will be accepted after the above date, unless requested by the Welsh Government.