Connecting and empowering our regions is a priority
National Federation of Builders
Chris Grayling, secretary of state for Transport, has announced that up to £1 billion of funding will be made available to council schemes that combat congestion and improve connections around towns and cities.
This funding will come out of the almost £6 billion of revenue raised each year from vehicle excise duty and, as well as improving smaller roads such as A-roads, will attempt to lessen the impact of heavy-goods vehicles (HGVs) disrupting village life by investing in bypasses.
The National Federation of Builders (NFB) notes that development is often interrupted or delayed pending review, due to perceived under-investment in transport infrastructure. NFB members, who are mostly regional developers and contractors across the UK, explain that this outright opposition to development has indefinitely stalled many small and infill sites.
For small and medium-sized developers (SMEs), who typically build on small sites within the existing infrastructure, this problem is further exacerbated by local authorities favouring large sites outside present communities in order to meet housebuilding targets.
Rico Wojtulewicz, policy advisor at the House Builders Association (HBA), said: “This money will certainly be welcome across communities in dire need of infrastructure funding, but local authorities must be bold enough to secure funding that will actually unlock new homes. This means accepting development where the underlying opposition is ‘not in my back yard’ and identifying where investment in roads can reconnect our disconnected communities.
“Improving our transport infrastructure will not just unlock new homes but reduce journey times to work, relieve pressure on congested communities, and open up investment opportunities across regions. Connecting and empowering our regions should be a priority.
