GWYNEDD will receive Levelling Up funds of £18.8 million to upgrade walking and cycling routes for the National Slate Museum and Neuadd Ogwen arts centre, but bids to ease congestion in Llanbedr and regenerate Bangor have been snubbed.

Gwynedd Council said last July that it would bid for Levelling-Up funds from UK Government in an attempt to revive Llanbedr bypass plans. Villagers were disappointed when the bypass was scrapped in the Welsh Government’s climate change roads reviews. The council hopes to ease congestion in Llanbedr with the Ardudwy Green Corridor, but they were dealt a blow last Wednesday when it was not included in a list of Levelling Up projects in Wales to receive a share of £208 million from UK Government.

Cllr Dyfrig Siencyn, leader of Gwynedd Council, said: “The announcement that Cyngor Gwynedd’s Llewyrch o’r Llechi (‘Future prosperity from our Industrial Past’) project has secured ‘Levelling Up’ funding is great news for the slate communities of Dyffryn Ogwen, Dinorwig and Blaenau Ffestiniog. Cyngor Gwynedd, the UK Government, Welsh Government and our local partners have worked tirelessly for over a decade to secure World Heritage designation for our unique slate landscape. Today’s news further underlines their global significance.

“This funding will enable Cyngor Gwynedd and our partners to transform the National Slate Museum in Dinorwig, establish green routes to connect local communities to the quarries they developed and establish interpretation and engagement hubs at Bethesda and Blaenau Ffestiniog. This project meets our priority of developing a sustainable visitor economy for Gwynedd and Eryri that will ensure that visitors to the area will be provided with comprehensive information about our rich slate heritage and its direct relevance to our culture, communities and people.

“Whilst today’s announcement will benefit three of our slate communities, we are continuing to work with our partners to develop plans to ensure that all parts of the World Heritage Site benefit directly over the coming years.

“However, we are extremely disappointed that the desperately needed projects to regenerate Bangor city centre and the access road to Llanbedr airfield which would also address the chronic traffic congestion issues, have been rejected.

“It seems that these decisions are being made by ministers in London who have no idea of the needs of local people. The announcement has been delayed for months and the arbitrary manner by which monies are distributed undermines efforts for cohesive long term economic planning.”

A total of 11 projects in Wales have been allocated more than £208 million from round two of the Levelling Up Fund. The aim of the projects is to create jobs, drive economic growth, help restore people’s pride in the places where they live and spread opportunity more equally.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “Through greater investment in local areas, we can grow the economy, create good jobs and spread opportunity everywhere. That’s why we are backing a number of projects with new transformational funding to level up local communities in Wales. By reaching even more parts of the country than before, we will build a future of optimism and pride in people’s lives and the places they call home.”