DfT’s incentive funding allocations revealed

The Department for Transport (DfT) has revealed councils individual allocations from the local highways maintenance incentive funding for 2016/17.

The DfT decided to introduce incentive funding – a £578 million pot to incentivise highways authorities’ performance that is available between now and 2021 – two years ago.

It was brought in after a National Audit Office study undertaken in 2014 showed that many highway authorities did not have an asset management strategy or plan.

Speaking at the Road Surface Treatments Asociation’s (RSTA) Annual Conference yesterday (7 April), Roads Minister Andrew Jones (pictured) revealed that all the authorities that applied will receive some incentive funding.

The top two performing highways authorities in the country were Durham and Lincolnshire.

Mr Jones said: “They scored highly against all 22 criteria and they will receive the maximum possible funding. I would urge other authorities to look closely at how Durham and Lincolnshire are running such an efficient operation.”

The Minister told attendees that help would be on hand to help those authorities that have not ranked as highly as they’d have like.

He aded: “If highways authorities feel that they need someone from the Department for Transport to make the case for proper highways management to elected members in person, we are happy to send one of our experts along.”

Mr Jones concluded by stating: “The sector has come a long way over the past few years. By becoming more efficient. By adopting better principles of asset management and by working more collaboratively.

"Now we want highways authorities and their contractors to keep improving. To keep learning from one another. And to make funding go further still. Places like Durham and Lincolnshire are showing what’s possible. By following their lead, we’ll have a better road network that better meets the needs of the nation.”