Yorkshire and The Humber road networks set to receive £991m boost

Millions of people will enjoy smoother, safer, and faster road journeys thanks to the biggest ever road resurfacing programme to improve local roads across Yorkshire and the Humber.

Today (Friday 17 November), Transport Secretary Mark Harper has set out the allocations of an £8.3bn long-term plan, enough to resurface over 5,000 miles of road across the country over the next 11 years. It’s one of the key cornerstones of Network North to improve journeys for all.

Local highway authorities across Yorkshire and The Humber, including the City of York, East Riding of Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, and the West and South Yorkshire Combined Authorities, will each receive a share of the £991m which they can use to identify what local roads are in most need of repair and deliver immediate improvements for communities and residents.

Across Yorkshire and The Humber, local highway authorities will receive £14.8m this financial year, followed by a further £14.8m for 2024/2025, with the rest of the funding allocated through to 2034.

We’ve already confirmed £5.5bn for 2020/21 to 2024/25 for England outside London, which includes the £200m announced by the Chancellor at the Budget in March. Today’s £8.3bn nationwide boost comes on top of that and extends until 2034, providing long-term certainty to local authorities and helping to prevent potholes from coming back in the future.

The funding also comes on top of the local transport, road and rail budgets allocated at the last Spending Review and in addition to what local authorities were already expecting for the next decade.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “For too long politicians have shied away from taking the right long-term decisions to make life easier for hardworking families - tackling the scourge of potholes being a prime example.

“Well-maintained road surfaces could save drivers up to £440 each in expensive vehicle repairs, helping motorists keep more of the cash in their pocket. This unprecedented £8.3bn investment will pave the road for better and safer journeys for millions of people across the country and put an end to the blight of nuisance potholes.”

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “Today’s biggest ever funding uplift for local road improvements is a victory for all road users, who will enjoy smoother, faster and safer trips - as we use redirected HS2 funding to make the right long-term decisions for a brighter future.”

To increase transparency and ensure the £8.3bn leads to an increase in the number of roads being resurfaced, local authorities will be required to publish information on their websites on a regular basis explaining how they are spending the funding in their area.

The measure is a key part of the Government’s Network North plan, with money redirected from HS2, instead going to improve the daily transport connections that matter most to people.

The North is benefitting from £19.8bn directly from Network North which will improve local connectivity across Yorkshire and The Humber. Projects include a brand-new rail station at Bradford, £2.5bn for a West Yorkshire Mass Transit System for Leeds, and the electrification of the rail line from Sheffield to Hull.

By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily

• Add me on LinkedIn and Twitter to keep up to date
• And follow Bdaily on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
• Submit press releases to editor@bdaily.co.uk for consideration.