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

Senior Civil Engineer - Major Projects x 4

£45,894.00 - £54,952.00
We are looking for experienced engineers to help us progress a number of key projects and programmes Glasgow, Glasgow City
Recruiter: Transport Scotland

Technician - Maintenance

£31001.0000 - £36471.0000 per annum
Essex Highways is responsible for managing and maintaining one of the largest highway networks in the country
Recruiter: Essex County Council

Highways Contract Engineer

£46,731 - £49,764
The team helps provide a safe road network that operates efficiently and effectively.  Northamptonshire
Recruiter: North Northamptonshire Council

Principal Transport Planner

£46,731 - £49,764 (pro-rata)
We are looking for an experienced professional to join us on a six-month temporary contact as a Principal Transport Planner. Kettering, Northamptonshire
Recruiter: North Northamptonshire Council

Highways Maintenance Operative

£Competitive
We have a fantastic opportunity for a Permanent Highways Maintenance Operative Broughton, Brigg
Recruiter: Amey

Head of Highways Contracts & Network

£81,803 progressing to £90,664 per annum
The team includes approximately 60 directly employed HCC people Hertfordshire
Recruiter: Hertfordshire County Council

Principal Construction Manager

£Competitive
We are excited to offer a fantastic opportunity for a Permanent Principal Construction Manager Yorkshire and the Humber
Recruiter: Amey

Quality Technician

£Competitive
We are excited to offer a fantastic opportunity for a Permanent Quality Technician Yorkshire and the Humber
Recruiter: Amey

Senior Highway Engineer (Development Management)

£42679.0000 - £50211.0000 per annum
Senior Highway Engineer (Development Management)Permanent, Full Time£43,960 to £51,718 per annum*Location
Recruiter: Essex County Council

Project Manager (Major Projects)

£44,711 - £47,754
Are you an experienced project professional or engineer with looking to take the next step in your career? Halifax, West Yorkshire
Recruiter: Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council

Senior Civil Engineer - Roads

£45,894 - £54,952
Are you an experienced engineer looking to support the Scottish Government’s national objectives. Scotland
Recruiter: Transport Scotland

Senior Civil Engineering Technician

Grade 7 £29,093 to £32,654 per annum
We are looking for a flexible individual who has the ability to meet targets and analyse and resolve complex technical problems and formulate a design Durham
Recruiter: Durham County Council

Project Team Manager

£55,147 to £60,676 per annum
We are pleased to be able to offer an opportunity for a role as Design Team Manager Norwich, Norfolk
Recruiter: Norfolk County Council

Clerk of Works

GRADE 08 (£37,938 - £41,511)
Warrington is one of the most successful towns in the country Warrington, Cheshire
Recruiter: Warrington Borough Council

Assistant Projects Engineer

GRADE 06 (£29,093 - £32,654),GRADE 07 (£33,366 - £37,035), GRADE 08 (£37,938 - £41,511)
Warrington is one of the most successful towns in the country Warrington, Cheshire
Recruiter: Warrington Borough Council

Principal Engineer - Traffic Management

£45,718 - £48,710 per annum
At Bath & North East Somerset Council we have one overriding purpose – to improve people’s lives. Bath, Somerset
Recruiter: Bath & North East Somerset Council

Vehicle Technician - Improver

£28,624 - £30,060
Transport Services is responsible for all aspects of transport and related services Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
Recruiter: Kirklees Metropolitan Council

Programme Delivery Office Administrator

Grade 9 £31,344 - £33,253 per annum
At Derbyshire, we have been on a journey to transform the way we deliver highway services to make them fit for the future Derbyshire
Recruiter: Derbyshire County Council

Support Officer - Highways Asset Management Systems

£31,586 - £34,314
We are a forward-thinking organisation dedicated to maintaining and improving our highway infrastructure. Lincolnshire
Recruiter: Lincolnshire County Council

Principal Transport Planner (Strategy)

£46,731-£49,764
We are looking for an experienced professional to join North Northamptonshire Council as a Principal Transport Planner (Strategy). Sheerness House, 41 Meadow Road, Kettering moving to Haylock House, Kettering Parkway, Kettering NN15 6EY, United Kingdom
Recruiter: North Northamptonshire 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