IN THE NEWS
£8 BILLION BOOST TO REPAIR ROADS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND BACK DRIVERS
Transport Secretary Mark Harper recently set out the allocations of an £8.3b long-term plan, enough to resurface over 5,000 miles of road across the country over the next 11 years. It’s one of the key cornerstones of Network North to improve journeys for all. Across England, local highway authorities will receive £150m this financial year, followed by a further £150m for 2024/2025, with the rest of the funding allocated through to 2034. Each council can use its funds to identify what local roads are in most need of repair and deliver immediate improvements . The £8.3b is divided as follows: • £3.3b for the North West, North East and Yorkshire & Humber;
• £2.2b for the West Midlands and East Midlands;
• £2.8b the East of England, South East, South West and London. The government has already confirmed £5.5b up until 2024/25, which includes £200m announced by the Chancellor at the Budget in March. The £8.3b nationwide boost comes on top of that and extends until 2034, providing long-term certainty to local authorities and helping to prevent potholes from coming back in the future. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “For too long politicians have shied away from taking the right long- term decisions to make life easier for hardworking families - tackling the scourge of potholes being a prime example. Well-maintained road surfaces could save drivers up to £440 each in vehicle repairs. “This unprecedented £8.3b invest- ment will pave the road for better and safer journeys and put an end
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considerable way to bringing our roads back to a fit-for-purpose state and save drivers hundreds of pounds by not having to fork out for frustrating vehicle repairs.” To
increase transparency and
to the blight of nuisance potholes. Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “Today’s biggest ever funding uplift for local road improvements is a victory for all road users, who will enjoy smoother, faster and safer trips - as we use redirected HS2 funding to make the right decisions for a brighter future.” This £8.3b boost is particularly important when considering that, according to a survey from the AA, fixing potholes and investing in roads maintenance is a priority for 96% of drivers. RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “Drivers’ biggest bugbear of all is the poor condition of local roads, so the fact the Government has found significant additional revenue should give councils the certainty of funding they need to plan proper long-term road maintenance, something we have been calling for many years. “We hope local authorities will use the money in the most effective way possible by resurfacing the very worst roads, keeping those in reasonable condition in better states for longer through surface dressing, and filling potholes as permanently as possible. “This should in time go a
ensure the £8.3b leads to an increase in the number of roads being resurfaced, local authorities will be required to publish information on their websites on a regular basis explaining how they are spending the funding. The measure builds on tough regulations announced in April this year to crack down on utility companies causing pothole pain with botched streetworks, through stricter inspections and costs for the worst offenders – backed by further measures in the Plan for Drivers announced in October. These include £70m to keep traffic flowing, updating 20mph zone guidance for England to help prevent inappropriate blanket use, and measures to speed up the rollout of electric vehicle charging. Edmund King OBE, AA president, said: “So far this year The AA has attended over 450,000 pothole related breakdowns. The damage caused can be a huge financial burden for drivers but is also a major safety risk for those on two wheels. “The £8.3b plan can make a considerable difference in bringing our roads back to the standards which road users expect, especially if councils use the cash efficiently to resurface our streets. ” Network North will see £36b invested in hundreds of transport projects and initiatives across the country.
JANUARY 2024 PHTM
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