CHESHIRE councils are set to receive nearly £350 million to spend on local transport – money saved from HS2.

The Department for Transport said Cheshire East will be given £168,399,000 and a further £180,716,000 for Cheshire West and Chester from next year, as part of the £4.7 billion Local Transport Fund for the North and Midlands.

Transport Minister Mark Harper said councils will decide how best to spend the money but he wants local MPs involved in the decision making process.

In a letter to MPs Mr Harper said: “This is a historic level of funding for these councils.

“The new funds can pay for the infrastructure that communities really want from new roads to new mass transit systems, more EV charge-points or refurbished bus and train stations.

“As a Member of Parliament, your local knowledge will be vital, so I am requiring councils to consult with you before spending this new funding.”

Tatton MP Esther McVey welcomed the funding and said she would be speaking with both councils to ensure her constituents got a fair share of the money.

MsMc Vey said: “This money is to benefit the whole area, not just specific parts and therefore I will be making immediate representation on what is needed across Tatton.

“I am delighted money saved from HS2 – a scheme I long opposed -is being reinvested to benefit the north.

“What matters is local transport projects and local infrastructure and I am pleased government is delivering on its promise to reinvest this money.

“Mark Harper has made it clear he wants MPs involved in the decision making to ensure money is spent fairly and I will ensure I am at any meetings to push the agenda for Tatton to the benefit of my constituency and constituents.

“I would also like to hear from residents where they think the money should be spent and I will pass on all of these suggestions to the council.”

Local authorities will receive the money over a period of seven years starting from April 2025, which government said is the biggest amount of money given for local transport and will allow councils time to prepare and develop plans for ‘this unanticipated funding boost’.

The first set of local transport plans need to be agreed by Autumn so work can begin in April.

Mr Harper added: “This funding boost will make a real difference to millions of people, empowering local authorities to drive economic growth, transform communities, and improve the daily transport connections that people rely on for years to come.”

Government has promised every penny committed to the northern leg of HS2 will be reinvested in the north, totalling £19.8 billion.