A Welsh council is returning thousands of pounds of grant money earmarked for a coastal path, after it failed to spend it.
Flintshire County Council was awarded £1.37M for 2008-09 to create a sustainable transport system, and had planned to spend it on a coastal pathway from Connah’s Quay to Prestatyn.
The funding came from the Welsh Assembly Government’s transport grant programme, which supports the Dee Coastal Path scheme at a total cost of around £6M. The scheme aims to provide a high-quality, traffic-free cycle and pedestrian route between Chester and Prestatyn. It is part of the WAG’s commitment to build a footpath around the whole coast of Wales, from Chepstow to Queensferry, by 2012.
However, the authority has only spent around £750,000 of the funding so far. Dean Faulkner, chief highways engineer for the county council, said: ‘Unfortunately, unforeseen problems associated with landowners on some of these schemes has resulted in slippage, and it will not be possible to spend some of the grant during the present financial year.’ A Welsh Assembly Government spokesperson said: ‘We understand there have been problems around land ownership which have led to slow progress.
‘The council has submitted a bid for further funding for the scheme in 2009-10, and this is currently under consideration.’
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