COUNCIL chiefs say almost £7 million of Government cash is not new money and has merely been ‘rebadged’.

Transport secretary Grant Shapps recently announced journeys on roads, railways and motorways will be smoother and safer thanks to a huge funding package.

Furthermore, the Government says hundreds of millions of pounds worth of upgrades have already been made to the nation’s road and rail networks during the lockdown, with more planned over the coming months.

As part of £244 million being provided to the north west for the region’s highways, Warrington Borough Council has been allocated £6.87 million for work including essential road repairs.

Conservative Warrington South MP Andy Carter says he has been a long-standing advocate for addressing traffic hotspots, along with improving road surfaces and rail infrastructure.

“Anyone who regularly sits through traffic jams over the swing bridges or around Bridge Foot during normal times will tell you Warrington has a congestion problem which needs solving,” he said.

“As we look towards our recovery from coronavirus, the Government’s plan to level up across the country, improving infrastructure and boosting productivity, will only become more critical as we exit this crisis.

“This significant allocation of funds from the Government will help to improve the quality of people’s journeys, whether by rail, road on a bike or on foot.”

The council says some of the £6.87 million funding for the town had already been announced in the past.

More than £1.49 million of the cash is integrated block funding, which will help to deliver pedestrian crossing and road safety schemes.

Furthermore, in excess of £3.1 million is previously announced maintenance funding, along with an incentive payment for Warrington’s ‘good asset management’ procedures, while £2.27 million is new maintenance cash.

But council leader Cllr Russ Bowden says part of the funding has just been ‘rebadged and relaunched and is not really new money’.

The Labour politician said: “What we have seen over the course of the last few weeks is the positive impact that we’ve had in terms of air quality and people’s behaviour, such as around cycling, and we need to keep that momentum.

“Part of that is about not just returning to the car but thinking about public transport options.

“Officers are in discussions around how we can best do that going forward.”

The study into the approved local transport plan, LTP4, considers two possible modes for a mass transit network for the borough – light rail/tram and bus rapid transit.

But Cllr Bowden would not be drawn on which of the two is the preferred choice at this stage, saying he is ‘not wedded’ to any particular option.

He said many plans in LTP4 are aspirational, with the council needing to see which funding is available.

Cllr Bowden added: “It is not necessarily about picking an option now but about keeping credible options on the table and making sure they are properly assessed, reviewed and hopefully implemented.

“There are a lot of things we can do that will improve public transport and make it more viable, credible and greener, which is a big thing that residents want.”