The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced that the Government will make £75 million of funding available to local authorities in England for essential road maintenance works.
Up to 19 different projects will benefit from a share of £75 million and will include junction improvements, repairs and resurfacing, flood resilience measures, bridge and viaduct refurbishment, and drainage improvements.
Minister Jesse Norman said: “This investment will enable councils to pair roads and key infrastructure like bridges – boosting reliability on our roads so people can stay connected with family, friends and employment, while also keeping businesses connected with customers.”
Cllr Martin Tett, Transport spokesman at the Local Government Association, said that any additional funding to councils for roads maintenance enables councils to make a difference not just for motorists, but for businesses and infrastructure in their local area.
“This funding, and recent government announcements pledging more money for local roads is positive, but has to be viewed in the context that councils face a £12 billion roads repair backlog bill," he added.
“Councils need long-term and consistent investment, which enables them to plan ahead and invest taxpayers’ money as effectively as possible, similar to how agencies such as Highways England operates, if we’re to bring our local roads up to scratch.”
The National Federation of Builders (NFB) welcomes the Government’s initiative to upgrade infrastructure at the regional levels, providing opportunities to small and medium-sized (SME) constructors and developers.
The UK continues to face an unprecedented housing crisis, where popular housing demand is greater than the number of homes actually being built. The lack of appropriate infrastructural facilities – such as roads – is often cited as the main reason for opposing new housing developments, even in areas with pressing demand.
Rico Wojtulewicz, policy advisor for the NFB, said: “We welcome the Government’s announcement because it shows a willingness to enable local authorities to build the homes that they desperately need and tackle people’s fears around infrastructure capacity.
“We hope that this funding will encourage councils to enable more planning permissions and be proactive in their approach to the housing crisis. This funding must empower development of all kinds and it must recognise the value of doing so strategically.”
