Transport Insights

The Department for Transport’s (DfT) announcement of a “green light” for 28 local road schemes has fallen apart as quickly as the Tories’ notorious Network North announcement, as it emerges that many of the green lit schemes have been in construction for a while and others are still awaiting confirmation of cash promised years ago.

I wrote earlier that the DfT had clarified that only two of the Large Local Major (LLM) and Major Road Network (MRN) schemes had actually had funding confirmed (today) but the department’s list of schemes with “funding confirmed” (now at the bottom of the announcement) includes schemes that are not only in construction, but were promised funding as far back as 2018.

These include “Gallows Corner” and “A595 Grizebeck Bypass”, both of which were promised money in 2018 by the then transport secretary Chris “failing” Grayling, even before the MRN existed as a network.

Also on the “funding confirmed” list is the North Hykeham Relief Road, which was the only new road project announced in the Tories’ November 2020 National Infrastructure Strategy.

Last September, I wrote for Highways magazine that councillors in Lincolnshire were meeting to highlight fears that the new Government’s review of funding for transport schemes would see the £200m road axed. That possibility remains open with funding still not confirmed.

Highways magazine has published a slightly different list of the 28 “funding confirmed” schemes, distinguishing between the 12 in construction or about to be, including the two newly approved schemes and the 16 “working on full business case”, including the “North Hykeham Relief Road”.

Also on the “working on full business case” is the “A1237 York Outer Ring Road Dualling Ph 1”, which was also announced by Grayling in 2018. The BBC reported in January that the scheme could be scaled back but the City of York Council was also reported to be considering staggering the scheme to deal with cost pressures.

Two other schemes in that 2018 announcement are on the DfT’s list of schemes beyond the 28 that are “under consideration” – i.e. not happening any time soon – the “A614 near Ollerton in Nottinghamshire” and “new slip roads in Thurrock”.

Also supposedly “under consideration” are two schemes that have been shelved by their local authority promoters – the Norwich Western Link and the Shrewsbury North West Relief Road.

Overall, I think the 28 schemes that have been given the green light amount to two newly approved schemes, 10 schemes previously approved and in construction, and 16 schemes they are still thinking about.