Monmouthshire Council’s Leader and Deputy have held talks in London with the Prime Minister and other senior members of the UK Government about funding opportunities for the county.

Cllr Richard John and Cllr Sara Jones held a meeting with Boris Johnson in his private office in the House of Commons immediately after Prime Minister’s Questions earlier this month.

The pair also held talks with the Secretary of State for Wales Simon Hart MP and the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Robert Jenrick MP, whose department is overseeing the scrutiny of bids to the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund.

Over the summer, Monmouthshire submitted two bids to the Levelling Up Fund for multi-million pound investments in Caldicot and Monmouth.

The councillors also held meetings with the county’s two local MPs, David TC Davies and Jessica Morden to discuss local transport issues, including congestion in Chepstow and much needed rail improvements at Magor and Severn Tunnel Junction.

Cllr Richard John said: “It’s really important for our residents that Monmouthshire’s voice is heard at the heart of the UK Government, so we spent the day in London lobbying for our county and discussing opportunities for us to work together. We’re grateful to senior members of the UK Cabinet, including the Prime Minister, for taking time out of their busy schedules to meet with us and discuss the challenges here in Monmouthshire.

“We were able to explain to the Prime Minister our ambitions for our county and how our bids to the Levelling Up Fund, which include a brand new leisure centre for Caldicot, will help improve the quality of life for local residents.

“As a gateway into Wales, Monmouthshire is strategically placed and it’s really important that as a council we’re forging strong links with governments in both Cardiff and London.”