Plans for 45 new local road safety schemes cited in Kwasi Kwarteng’s disastrous mini-budget in September appear to have been shelved after the Department for Transport (DfT) indicated that new transport secretary Mark Harper is rethinking the proposal.
The Growth Plan document attached to the mini-budget listed 138 transport and infrastructure projects to be ‘accelerated’, with around a third of the schemes on the list bearing the name ‘Safer Road Scheme’.
The announcement drew praise from key figures within the sector, including Dr Suzy Charman, executive director of the Road Safety Foundation charity, who said she was ‘thrilled’ to see the schemes included in the Growth Plan.
She added: ‘These safer roads schemes will save many lives and will prevent many casualties.’
However, the document warned that presence on the list ‘does not guarantee, where applicable, funding, planning consent or approval for other regulatory or permitting processes’.
In addition, many authorities in the areas to which they related appeared to have no knowledge of them and the DfT was unable at the time to provide any details.
Last month’s Autumn Statement, delivered by new chancellor Jeremy Hunt stated: ‘The government will seek to accelerate delivery of projects across its infrastructure portfolio, rather than focus on the list of projects that were flagged for acceleration in the Growth Plan.’
In response to a query from Highways, a DfT spokesperson said: ‘With an overall funding package for the years ahead confirmed, we will be able to set out a stable, long-term plan to run, maintain and upgrade the UK’s transport system.
‘The transport secretary will now be considering the best way forward, and we will announce further information in due course.’
The phrase ‘in due course’ is frequently used by government where is unable or unwilling to give any indication of when an expected event will occur.
