The Labour Government has approved four long-standing local authority road schemes from the previous administration's National Roads Fund, stating that they are part of its ‘Plan for Change’.
The Department for Transport (DfT) is contributing a total of £90m for the four schemes, which also featured in the previous Conservative government's widely-ridiculed ‘Network North’ plan to supposedly redirect cash from the cancelled Phase Two of HS2.
Despite this, officials said that the announcement is ‘part of the government’s Plan for Change to renew infrastructure and raise living standards across the UK’.
The four schemes are:
- A350 Chippenham Bypass phases 4 and 5 in Wiltshire
- A647 Dawsons Corner and Stanningley Bypass in Leeds
- South East Aylesbury Link Road (SEALR) in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire
- A127/A130 Fairglen Interchange in Essex
All four of these schemes that the DfT claimed to have been approved under its ‘Plan for Change’ were listed under the Network North pledge.
Future of roads minister Lilian Greenwood said: ‘The UK’s roads are the backbone of a growing economy, which is why we’re giving these vital schemes the go ahead, helping deliver our Plan for Change.
‘Economic growth has been stunted for too long, so we’re giving the green light and investing in vital schemes to help people get from A to B more easily however they choose to travel.’
The DfT said the A350 Chippenham Bypass is ‘one of the most important routes connecting the South West with the Midlands and South East’. It is expected to see journey times reduced by up to a quarter, with two sections of the road to be dualled and improvements made to the roundabout.
It added that the area around the A647 Dawsons Corner and Stanningley Bypass in Leeds has seen traffic levels worsen over the years, impacting bus services in particular.
‘The replacement of the roundabout and structural renewal of the bypass is expected to increase the number of bus passengers, speeding up traffic for all modes of road transport.’
Government officials said that upgrades to the SEALR scheme will reduce air pollution in Aylesbury town centre, link up new developments in the area and create more walking and cycling options, with a new 1.2km two-lane dual carriageway link road.
The A127/A130 Fairglen Interchange scheme, which Ms Greenwood visited, will see enhancements to the interchange and surrounding roundabouts.
Essex County Council said the DfT contribution of £15m is in addition to the £38m it is spending on the junction and £6.2m from the South East Local Enterprise Partnership.
In October 2023, following the cancellation of HS2 phase 2, the Conservative Government said it was increasing funding for most existing Major Road Network (MRN) and Large Local Major (LLM) road schemes, which, subject to successful business case approval, will benefit from an uplift in government contribution from 85% to 100% of their costs at the outline business case stage.
It said: ‘The increased funding will help ensure the delivery of these road schemes.’
Under the Conservative Government, MRN and LLM schemes were part of a National Roads Fund, which also covered National Highways’ 2020-25 budget, funded by a theoretical hypothecation of Vehicle Excise duty from 2020 to 2025.
Despite this, the majority of the 70 schemes in the Network North announcement remain unfunded despite the fact the plan included from the very beginning schemes already underway or where funding was expected.
To continue a theme, the current transport secretary visited the West Midlands on Thursday ‘to begin work’ on a £295m West Midlands Metro extension, her department said.
This is despite the first (Wednesbury to Dudley town centre) phase of the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill extension actually being 'already well underway and due to open to passengers in Autumn of this year’, as the Department for Transport confirmed.
Image shows Ms Greenwood with Tom Cunningham, cabinet member for Highways, infrastructure and sustainable transport at Essex CC
