The Local Council Roads Innovation Group (LCRIG) welcomes a number of Government funding announcements relating to Levelling Up and Network North, and was pleased to see a number of LCRIG council members included in the funding allocations.
Blackpool Council has been awarded £40 million from Round 2 of the Levelling Up Fund which will be used to build a new education campus in Blackpool.
Blackburn Transport package – Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council has been allocated £20 million to improve transport infrastructure within South East Blackburn.
In the North East, £19.5 million from the Levelling Up Fund round 2 was allocated to County Durham, Tyne and Wear and Northumberland to improve the availability and quality of sustainable zero emission transport options in the region. The investment will go towards 52 zero emission buses, providing over 3,000 seats for passengers, and support a network of 26 electric vehicle chargers. This will remove 7797 tonnes of CO2.
Tees Valley Combined Authority has been allocated almost £18 million for transport improvements in the Tees Valley, a significant transport investment which help make cycling and walking a more accessible travel option for local people.
Northumberland County Council has been allocated £14.7 million from the Levelling Up Fund to build two new high-quality cycling and pedestrian routes in Hexham and Bedlington.
Reading Borough Council was awarded £9.3 million from the Levelling Up Fund was allocated to Slough to make major improvements to the Farnham Road (A355) corridor.
Knowsley Council will receive over £15.3 million from the Levelling Up Fund to improve access to leisure facilities and transport in Halewood.
Westmorland and Furness Council has been awarded almost £18 million from the Levelling Up Fund has been allocated to upgrade 30km of the Cumbrian highway network.
Devon County Council has provisionally been allocated almost £16 million to the ‘Destination Exmouth’ project in Devon.
Staffordshire County Council was provisionally allocated to Staffordshire County Council for a package of transport projects on the major road network in Mid-Staffordshire.
Find out more about the allocation of funding on the government website here.
Local Transport Funding
On 26th February 2024, the Government further announced the breakdown of Local Transport Fund (LTF) funding by local authority. The LTF will fund a wide range of local transport measures.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Transport Secretary Mark Harper have confirmed that the North will receive £2.5 billion and the Midlands will receive £2.2 billion from April 2025 to improve local transport connections that so many people rely on every day, particularly across smaller cities, towns, and rural areas.
Local transport authorities will be able to choose from a range of projects such as building new roads, improving road junctions and pavements, improving bus stations, installing or expanding tram lines, or improving train stations.
Find out more here.