£35m infrastructure support funding gets nod

The West of England Joint Committee has agreed to invest £35m in infrastructure projects across the region.Among the projects that will receive cash is a project by the University of Bath to establish a new Institute for Advanced Automotive Propulsion Systems.The centre, which will aim to take part in transformational research for low-emission vehicles, will receive £10m. The funding will support the £60m construction work, which will begin in summer 2018.The second phase in the transformation of Colston Hall will also receive a £5m injection, while £15m will go towards building a new innovation facility as part of the University of Bristol’s planned Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus.Other initiatives that will benefit from the £35m fund includes the extension of Bristol’s existing research and development connectivity network into new parts of the city, the improvement of pedestrian links in Weston-Super-Mare, the creation of a new virtual reality lab at Leadworks on Bristol’s Anchor Square and the redevelopment of attic space at Bristol’s Engine Shed to provide further desk spaces.The West of England Joint Committee is the decision-making body of the West of England Combined Authority.