Prime Minister will visit North Wales today
to see how the Levelling Up agenda is helping to spread
opportunity, create jobs and revitalise local communities across
North Wales.
He will today meet engineers in
Anglesey to see the work that goes on behind the UK Government’s
rollout of faster, more reliable broadband, as well as visit
communities and businesses across the two-day tour of the
region.
The visit comes just as the UK
Government announces that more than one million homes, businesses
and public buildings can now access the best internet speeds on
the market as a result of UK Government
investment.
Growth in gigabit coverage in
Wales over the past year is among the fastest in the UK. Today
nearly 70 per cent of Welsh premises have access to a gigabit
capable connection. Before our rollout, only seven per cent of
Welsh premises had access five years ago.
Prime Minister
said:
“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.”
As part of our Levelling Up
agenda, the Government has stepped in to upgrade places which
have been left out of the commercial rollout.
Where previously many people
would have struggled to stream TV shows or run small businesses,
we are delivering greater connectivity – growing the rural
economy, creating jobs and ensuring all communities across the
country can reap the rewards of lightning-fast
connectivity.
This follows the Government’s
recent delivery of major projects to spread jobs, prosperity and
investment right across North Wales:
- The new Anglesey Freeport, visited by the Prime Minister and
First Minister last year, is expected to bring forward over a
billion in private and public investment and create thousands of
new, high-skilled jobs.
- A major upgrade and electrification of the North Wales Main
Line – backed by an unprecedented £1 billion investment – will
bring parts of North Wales within an hour of Manchester.
- A further £20m from the Levelling Up Fund will go to projects
to develop and boost areas in Denbighshire, which will include
regenerating Rhyl town centre, creating more community centres,
improving cycle and footpaths, and improving routes between the
town and coast.
- The investment in Denbighshire is one of seven projects
across Wales which have been allocated a total of £111 million
from round three of the Levelling Up Fund.
