Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced the North and Midlands will receive £4.7 billion redirected HS2 funding.

This comes after he is set to chair a Cabinet meeting in Yorkshire to share plans with with local authorities about a new 'Local Transport Fund.'

The Local Transport Fund has been set up by the Government allocating £2.5 billion to the North and £2.2 billion to the Midlands, available for local leaders to access from April 2025.

The Government believes this will give local authorities enough time to prepare and develop their funding plans.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “The Local Transport Fund will deliver a new era of transport connectivity.

“This unprecedented investment will benefit more people, in more places, more quickly than HS2 ever would have done, and comes alongside the billions of pound worth of funding we’ve already invested into our roads, buses and local transport services across the country.”

The Government said funding is specifically targeted at smaller cities, towns and rural areas, giving local communities the opportunity to invest in transport upgrades that matter the most to their communities.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “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.”