Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much of the levelling up fund is specifically earmarked for improving Birmingham’s bus network.

The £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund invests in infrastructure that improves everyday life across the UK, including regenerating town centres and high streets, upgrading local transport, and investing in cultural and heritage assets.

Successful applicants to the first round of the Levelling Up Fund were announced alongside the 2021 Spending Review. Birmingham City Council was awarded over £52 million in funding across three projects, including £19.94 million for the ‘Dudley Road’ project.

This bid focuses on major highways improvements around Birmingham City Centre to improve transport accessibility into the city. This includes the provision of bus priority measures, which will improve bus journey times into and out of the city.

Further funding opportunities will be available through a second round of the Levelling Up Fund, which will open in spring 2022. More information on this will be available in due course

The West Midlands Combined Authority also received £1 billion in funding from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement to improve the regions tram, train, bus and cycle networks.