To ask the Minister for Infrastructure to detail the spending from the Blue/Green Fund that has been allocated to date.

On 10 June 2020 I announced £20 million of funding for blue/green infrastructure to be used to promote active travel and support the transformation of communities by helping shape places for everyone to live in the new normal.

As part of this, my Department wrote to all councils on 2 July 2020 seeking details of greenway projects which were ready to be taken forward. To date, £2.8 million of capital funding has been allocated to 4 councils to develop six greenway projects that are ready to be taken forward for construction in 2020/21 of which £1.1m is expected to be spent in 2020/21. This funding will be provided on a match funding basis and will be subject to councils returning robust business cases to the Department to ensure Value for Money.

Allocation of the remainder of the £20m funding will be made available for suitable projects in due course. Decisions will be informed by ongoing engagement with stakeholders on their proposals for co-design schemes and used primarily towards projects which will help to define a sense of place and character within communities, by providing/ improving cycleways, footways and green/ blue spaces that will encourage people to walk and cycle as part of their everyday lives.