National Roads Fund: Just £426m in two years for local roads

01/04/2021 | CHRIS AMES

The Department for Transport (DfT) has insisted that it will fund ‘over 50’ local road upgrades during this Parliament from its flagship National Roads Fund (NRF) despite allocating just £426m in two years and funding only eight schemes so far.

In response to a written parliamentary question from Labour's shadow communities secretary, Steve Reed, transport minister Rachel Maclean disclosed that the DfT’s forecast expenditure in 2020/21 on Major Road Network (MRN) and Large Local Major schemes is £116m, while £310m has been budgeted in 2021/22.'

She added: ‘The budgets for future years are subject to the next Spending Review.’

This total of £426m over two years compares with the £3.5bn that ministers originally said the NRF would provide for local road upgrades from 2020/21 to 2024/25 through the MRN and Large Local Majors.

As Highways has reported, ministers have quietly shifted around £2bn from local roads funding under the NRF, which comes from Vehicle Excise Duty, to pay for additional costs under the second Road Investment Strategy (RIS 2) for the strategic network.

Analysis by Highways shows that existing announcements account for nearly all of the cash budgeted so far. This covers capital funding for eight schemes and development funding for around 20 other schemes.

The 2021/22 budget of £310m matches the amount that the National Infrastructure Strategy said would be spent upgrading the road network during the year.

The document stated: ‘This will support investment in over 50 schemes in this Parliament such as North Hykeham relief road and crossings in both Lake Lothing and Great Yarmouth due to start construction shortly.’

In fact, the Lake Lothing crossing is funded through the Local Growth Fund.

In addition to the two NRF schemes in the NIS, which cost £208m, in February the DfT announced funding totalling £93m for two further MRN schemes and one Large Local Major – a total cost of £301m.

This accounts for almost all of the £310m allocation for 2021/22; however, the DfT told Highways that some funding for these schemes would come from future years’ allocations over the course of the Parliament.

In February the DfT announced £56m to 'overhaul’ the Kex Gill section of the A59

Prior to publication of the NIS, ministers had announced two MRN schemes at York and in Cumbria totalling £38m, as well as £60m for a section of the North Devon Road Link – a Large Local Major scheme for which funding was agreed in 2018.

It appears that the remainder of the 2020/21 spending was for development funding, including six schemes announced by the prime minister in February 2020 and a raft of MRN schemes that the following month’s Budget announced would proceed to the next stage.

The DfT also conceded that the ‘over 50’ schemes cited in the NIS will not, as claimed, all be supported from the £310m for 2021/22 but said they will be delivered during the current Parliament and funded from the NRF, despite there being no further committed funding.

A spokesperson said the schemes are currently scheduled to be funded assuming their deadlines are met as currently set out and that actual amounts of funding in each year are agreed in Spending Reviews.

Highways InProfile

latest magazine issue
Highways jobs

Engineer, Highways Asset Maintenance CDC

Grade 9, £38,653 - £42,728
City of Doncaster employs around 4,300 staff, who work together with Team Doncaster partners Doncaster, South Yorkshire
Recruiter: City Of Doncaster Council

Head of Fleet and Depot Services

Circa £80,000
It couldn’t be a better time to join Merton Council. Merton, London (Greater)
Recruiter: London Borough of Merton

Fleet Officer

£34,416 - £35,448
We are seeking a proactive and detail-oriented Fleet Officer to join our team. Greenwich, London (Greater)
Recruiter: Royal Borough of Greenwich

Team Leader LGV Driver

£27,711 - £30,559, Grade 6, 37 hours, Permanent
An exciting opportunity exists in the Council’s Street Scene Services for a Team Leader LGV Driver Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Recruiter: Wakefield Council

Team Leader LGV Driver (Seasonal Post)

£20,783.25 - £22,919.25, Grade 6, 27.25 hours, Permanent
An exciting opportunity exists in the Council’s Street Scene Services for a Team Leader LGV Driver Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Recruiter: Wakefield Council

Network Manager

Grade 14, £56,385 to £60,592 per annum
Ready for your next big challenge in highways management? Isle of Wight
Recruiter: Isle of Wight Council

Transport Strategy Officer

Grade 12, £45,647 to £47,966 per annum
The council are looking for a Transport Strategy Officer who will play a leading role in what is both locally and nationally a very dynamic area. Isle of Wight
Recruiter: Isle of Wight Council

Traffic & Network Engineer

£31067 to £37937 Per annum
Traffic & Network Engineer Portsmouth
Recruiter: Portsmouth City Council

Highway Asset Officer (Design/Delivery)

£34,314 - £37,938 per annum
Are you passionate about making a difference in your community? Devon
Recruiter: Devon County Council

Trainee Sign Shop Technician

£25998 - £31469
Job TitleTrainee Sign Shop Tec... Wandsworth, London, UK
Recruiter: London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and London Borough of Wandsworth

Senior Highways Technician x 2 positions - WMF1684e

£33,366 - £34,314
We are looking for strong communicators, as you will provide advice and guidance to colleagues. Kendal, Cumbria
Recruiter: Westmorland and Furness Council

Programme Control Officer - Capital Programmes - WMF1686e

£37,035 - £37,938
The Programme Control Officer role will mainly be focussed on managing and controlling a wide variety of programme delivery information. Kendal, Cumbria
Recruiter: Westmorland and Furness Council

Highways Officer - South

G7
Lincolnshire County Council
Recruiter: Lincolnshire County Council

Assistant Highways Officer - South

£26,409 - £29,093
Lincolnshire County Council would like to know how you feel about potholes! Lincolnshire / South
Recruiter: Lincolnshire County Council

Assistant Highways Officer - West

£26,409 - £29,093
Lincolnshire County Council would like to know how you feel about potholes! Lincolnshire / West
Recruiter: Lincolnshire County Council

Assistant Highways Officer - North

£26,409 - £29,093
Lincolnshire County Council would like to know how you feel about potholes! Lincolnshire / North
Recruiter: Lincolnshire County Council

Assistant Highways Officer - East

£26,409 - £29,093
Lincolnshire County Council would like to know how you feel about potholes! Lincolnshire / East
Recruiter: Lincolnshire County Council

Structures Assistant Engineer

£34,314 to £37,938 p.a. Grade 9
Highways Services at Durham County Council are responsible for the maintenance of the Highway Infrastructure across County Durham, including approxima Durham
Recruiter: Durham County Council

Senior Engineer (Consultancy)

£43,693 - £50,788
e are seeking a positive, experienced, enthusiastic, talented, and driven professional who cares about the development of our great city Coventry, West Midlands
Recruiter: Coventry City Council

Senior Development Management Engineer

£37,938 - £44,711
We are seeking a positive, experienced, enthusiastic, talented, and driven professional who cares about the development of our great city Coventry, West Midlands
Recruiter: Coventry City Council
SUBSCRIBE NOW

Latest Video

Subscribe to Highways today to ensure you keep your finger on the pulse of everything happening in the UK road network throughout the year.

SUBSCRIBE NOW