United Kingdom: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will visit North Wales to see how the Levelling Up agenda is spreading opportunity, creating jobs and revitalising local communities across North Wales.
Rishi Sunak will meet engineers at Anglesey to see the work behind the UK Government’s rollout of faster and more reliable broadband. He will visit communities and businesses across the region on a two-day tour.
The UK Government has invested in infrastructure to bring the best internet speeds to over a million homes, businesses, and public buildings. The visit comes shortly after the government proclaimed the investment.
The growth in gigabit coverage in Wales over the last year was the swiftest in the UK. Currently, almost 70 percent of Welsh premises have access to a gigabit-capable connection. Before the rollout started five years ago, only 7 percent of Welsh premises had access to such connections.
Sunak stated that, “Levelling Up is about providing people with better opportunities to work, travel and feel proud of where they live. Upgrading one million premises with high-speed gigabit broadband is part of our long-term plan to deliver a brighter future by connecting people, businesses and regions across the entire United Kingdom.”
“We’re breathing new life into communities across North Wales through greater connectivity, a brand new freeport, more cash for high streets and a £1 billion investment into North Wales rail,” he said. As part of the levelling up agenda, the government has taken steps to upgrade areas excluded from commercial exchange.
In the past, a lot of people faced difficulties streaming TV shows or running small businesses due to poor connectivity. However, government are now providing better connectivity, which is helping to boost the rural economy, create jobs, and ensure that all communities throughout the country can benefit from lightning-fast internet speeds.
It follows the Government’s recent key initiatives to drive jobs, prosperity and investment across North Wales. The Anglesey Freeport, visited by the Prime Minister and First Minister last year, is expected to attract more than a billion in both private and public investment, and generate thousands of new, highly-skilled jobs. A £1 billion investment will upgrade and electrify the North Wales Main Line, cutting travel time to Manchester to under an hour.
An additional £20 million will be allocated from the Levelling Up Fund for projects aimed at improving and developing various areas in Denbighshire. This will include the regeneration of Rhyl town center, the establishment of more community centers, the improvement of cycle and footpaths, and the enhancement of routes between the town and coast.
The government has allocated a total of £111 million from round three of the Levelling Up Fund to seven projects across Wales, one of which is an investment in Denbighshire. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will visit North Wales to observe how the Levelling Up agenda is aiding in the spread of opportunities, job creation and revitalisation of local communities.
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