Road safety grant 2023 to 2024: guidance

The purpose of the guidance is to confirm the priorities that Welsh Government will support through the road safety grants to local authorities in Wales in 2023 to 2024. 

The guidance also sets out the process by which local authorities should submit applications for consideration by the Welsh Government and how they will be assessed.

In your applications you must demonstrate that you have followed the Welsh Government Transport Appraisal Guidance (WelTAG). The application forms have been amended to 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: the Wales transport strategy 2021 (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.

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.

This guidance deals only with the road safety capital and revenue grants. In your applications you must demonstrate how your proposals will meet these grant objectives

Subject to confirmation of budgets, the indicative total funding available for Road Safety Revenue schemes across Wales for FY 2023 to 2024 is expected to be approximately £1,600,000.

Applications for road safety revenue funding will be considered within the calculated allocation for each local authority. The final funding recommendations will also take into consideration to which extent the local authority has delivered against its forecasts in relation to the Road Safety grant in recent years.

Revenue funding will be allocated by use of a formula based on latest available population numbers (60%) and casualty numbers of those killed or seriously injured (40%).

There is no restriction on the number of initiatives you can seek funding for. Priority should be given to child pedestrian training, National Standards cycle training and interventions targeting high risk groups of young people and motorcyclists.

• applications for motorcycle training and education schemes need to be submitted as single, separate applications.  We will not accept applications that cover a suite of measures
• applications for National Cycle Training must be guided by the National Standard for Cycle Training, published by the Department for Transport.
• training should be delivered up to Level 2 as a minimum requirement
• we acknowledge that some learners may not be ready to progress from Level 1 to Level 2
• consideration should be given to whether additional training could be provided to enable individuals to progress to L2
• authorities should also consider whether balance bike training and pre-rider sessions would be beneficial as well as considering which year groups are offered training
• top-up funding will be available at £15 per child to allow for additional training where children need this to progress to Level 2
• children who do not undertake Level 2 cycle training with the rest of their class/cohort, should, where possible, be made aware of other opportunities to undertake the training, e.g. the following school year, holiday clubs, family sessions
• we encourage authorities to offer adult and family cycle training where possible
• please note that authorities may also apply for funding to cover instructor training. 
• in exceptional circumstances where children cannot receive L2 training, a reduced fee should be claimed.

Applications for innovative new approaches are welcomed, especially those which will increase the uptake of active travel and where new approaches are supported by a clear evidence base. Specific plans for evaluation will be required, as will be a commitment to share lessons learnt with partners

Applications for motorcycling assessment and training schemes will only be accepted for Enhanced Rider Schemes (ERS) or where a specific evaluation has been completed.  First responder schemes are exempt from this requirement

A maximum that may be claimed per trainee will be applied for the approved initiatives.  When submitting your application you will need to specify how many people will be trained and payment of grant will be subject to training delivery across the financial year.

Ceiling costs per trainee: national initiatives

• PassPlus Cymru: £152
• Megadrive: £26
• Motorcyclist assessment: £60
• Motorcyclist training: £135
• Motorcyclist first responder: £55    
• Kerbcraft: £62
• National Cycle Training Levels 1 and 2 combined: £53
• National Cycle Training Level 3 (including adults): £60
• National Cycle Training Level 1 (only to be claimed when additional training is required to progress to Level 2 or in exceptional circumstances when only Level 1 has been completed): £15
• Instructor training and conversion training to Bikability: costs incurred up to £800.

For these priority areas, there is no requirement to submit supporting evidence, or key benefits to support intervention, but local monitoring procedures will be required.  Applications for schemes outside of the priority areas will need to be supported by appropriate evidence. 

Staff costs will only be funded if they are delivering a specific approved project, for instance to coordinate child pedestrian training.  We will not fund general road safety officer posts.

Applications will not be accepted for general advertising and media campaigns. Local Authorities may use a proportion of their grant for specific promotional work to ensure take up of courses - this will form part of the maximum costs per trainee. Reusable equipment required to deliver training will be funded, but not promotional items given for attending courses.

Local authorities are encouraged to collaborate on revenue projects, particularly where this will result in efficiencies, the sharing of good practice or where cross county or border funding benefits road safety in Wales. The lead local authority must be identified for each scheme. Funding will be allocated to the lead local authority.

Where revenue projects are delivered by other partners, we can arrange to pay the grant direct on request. The grant recipient will be responsible for the submission of claims and supporting information.

Funding will be made direct to local authorities and will be available for 2023 to 2024 only. Local authorities should note that Welsh Government is unable to give a commitment for grant support after 2023 to 2024.

All educational initiatives must be monitored and evaluated. National schemes will be evaluated centrally. 

Applications may include costs associated with the promotion of schemes.

Local authorities should submit their applications using the relevant template. 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. 

Supporting documentation will be considered as follows:

Evaluation reports in support of applications for revenue funding that fall outside of the priority areas.  All reports must be accompanied by:

• an executive summary
• 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 Deputy Minister for Climate Change.

Applications must be submitted by 20 January 2023.

Electronic copies must be submitted to the relevant Welsh Government contact listed below to: transportplanning@gov.wales

• please keep appendices’ to a minimum. 
• all documents should be submitted in Word format.
• no additional or revised information will be accepted after the above date unless requested by the Welsh Government.

Transport policy advisor

• email: transportplanning@gov.wales
• phone: 03000 253150.

Local Authority: Total revenue grant (£s)

• Blaenau Gwent: 40,000
• Bridgend: 58,900
• Caerphilly: 87,100
• Cardiff: 141,800
• Carmarthenshire: 107,800
• Ceredigion: 47,700
• Conwy: 69,800
• Denbighshire: 61,300
• Flintshire: 77,900
• Gwynedd: 81,200
• Isle of Anglesey: 40,000
• Merthyr Tydfil: 40,000
• Monmouthshire: 58,100
• Neath Port Talbot: 60,000
• Newport    80,000
• Pembrokeshire: 78,600
• Powys: 108,800
• Rhondda Cynon Taf: 97,300
• Swansea: 98,500
• The Vale of Glamorgan: 53,300
• Torfaen: 44,400
• Wrexham: 67,500

Wales total: 1,600,000.