Chris Grayling announces £1bn boost for local roads
2 min read
The Government has announced that local councils will be able to access a multi-billion pound fund to improve roads in their area.
Some of the £5.8bn raised from vehicle excise duty (VED) will be available for upgrades to council-run A-roads rather than being exclusively earmarked for motorways and major A-roads managed centrally by Highways England.
The money will be targeted at projects to help rebalance the economy, the Department for Transport added.
The roads eligible for the funding will form part of a new “major road network”.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: “Getting transport spending right is crucial for the country’s future.
“The Transport Investment Strategy sets out a blueprint for how we can harness the power of transport investment to drive balanced economic growth, unlock new housing projects, and support the Government’s modern industrial strategy.
“This Government is taking the big transport decisions for Britain’s future like HS2 and Heathrow, while delivering the biggest investment in roads and rail for a generation.
“At the heart of our approach is a plan to make transport work for the people who use it and for the wider economy.”
Speaking to The Times, Mr Grayling suggested approximately £1bn from VED would be used on local projects, and particularly drew attention to the prospect of it helping to build new bypasses to cut congestion.
He added: “These routes don’t just unlock economic potential. There are quite a lot of places where there is the potential for housing developments on the edge of towns where a bypass going around the town can actually unlock housing as well.”
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