MORE than £1.2 million is being handed out to schemes across Gwent encouraging walking and cycling as part of a £14.5 million Welsh Government handout.

Nine active travel schemes in Gwent are among 66 across Wales to receive a share of the funding, intended to improve and create routes and facilities to encourage people to walk and cycle.

The Gwent project to receive a share of the funding are:

  • In Blaenau Gwent a shared use active travel road from Garnlydan to Brynmawr will receive £295,000, another leading from Ebbw Vale Hospital will get £185,000, and £55,000 will be spent on developing other schemes and minor works.
  • In Monmouthshire the third phase of the Abergavenny town centre active travel improvements has been allocated £300,000, and a transport study for Chepstow has been given £50,000.
  • In Newport £190,000 has been handed over to the design and construction of active travel routes and inner city links.
  • In Torfaen the Edlogan Way active travel route will be allocated £106,000.
  • In Caerphilly £25,000 will be given to a Cwm Calon active travel link and another £25,000 to a route feasibility study involving the Caerphilly Interchange.

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Lee Waters, the Welsh Government's deputy economy and transport minister, said: “We are facing a climate emergency, an obesity epidemic and an air quality crisis – and active travel can help us address all of these.

“Across Wales we need to do things differently.

"I have been clear that we need to think big, show ambition and be radical.

"These projects are a step in the right direction to achieve the change we need, and we will continue to make significant investment to make active travel the obvious choice for more journeys in Wales.”