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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department still plans to provide funding for (a) walking and (b) cycling routes in Bedlington in the context of the failure to agree a deal to build an electric vehicle gigafactory in Cambois.

In January 2023, as part of the second round of the Levelling Up Fund, we announced that £14.7 million was awarded to Northumberland County Council for two new high-quality cycling and pedestrian routes in Hexham and Bedlington.

The Government will continue to work with stakeholders across Northumberland to deliver long term support to the area, including working with Northumberland County Council.

The National Planning Policy Framework expects strategic policy-making authorities to follow the standard method for assessing local housing need. The standard method does not dictate where homes should go.