Cllr Andrew Morgan OBE, Leader of the WLGA, said:

“WLGA welcomes the announcement of £111m coming into Wales for seven Levelling-up projects. The extension of the timescale for completion of projects to March 2026 is also a positive step, given the time needed to deliver capital projects. Overall, Wales has benefited to the tune of £440m over the three rounds of LUF, supporting 28 projects. I congratulate all those councils that have had successful bids, helping Wales to ‘punch above our weight’ in the share of funding awarded. However, while this is welcomed, moving forward, overall funding for levellingup has to match the previous levels of EU funding and we must ensure that Wales does not lose out.”

Cllr Rob Stewart, WLGA Economy Spokesperson said:

“It is always good to hear of projects receiving funding that support wider regional development efforts in Wales. I am particularly pleased to see three projects in the Swansea Bay City Region area being funded in this round. However, it is disappointing that after three rounds there are still four council areas that have not received any LUF funding. Given that 18 areas have benefited from LUF, the concept or goal of ‘levelling up’ has never been made particularly clear. If it was for Wales to catch up with the rest of the UK, all councils have areas within them that are in need of support. We hope to see advance engagement with UK Government, working with Welsh Government over future plans for LUF or any successor.

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