GovWire

Londoners will enjoy smoother and safer journeys, as the government today (20 December 2023) announces how London boroughs will benefit from 235 million in extra funding which has been redirected from HS2 to resurface roads across the capital over the next 11 years.

Allocations for each London borough and Transport for London (TfL) have today been confirmed, allowing authorities to start spending immediately on vital road repairs, with 7.5 million of this funding set aside for next year.

The allocations are based on the size of the road network that local authorities and TfL maintain respectively. These include funding boosts over the next year of 354,000 for Hillingdon, 455,000 for Bromley and 368,000 for Barnet, with London boroughs immediately receiving around 96% of the 7.5 million first-year funding and TfL around 4%.

Last month, the Transport Secretary announced the total amount of additional funding that will be provided to maintain Londons roads over the next 11 years, which will improve journey times and could save motorists up to 440 in vehicle repairs to fix the damage caused by potholes.

The funding is part of an 8.3 billion plan enough to resurface over 5,000 miles of roads across England. This is the largest ever investment into road repairs and improvements and part of the governments Network North pledge to improve journeys for all.

Councils will be held accountable for how they spend the money by being required to publish regular updates on the proposed works and they could see future money withheld if they fail to do so.

Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, said:

This government is on the side of drivers and is investing 235 million to improve and repair Londons roads, part of the biggest-ever funding uplift for local road improvements.

This funding is part of a long-term, 11-year plan to ensure road users across London have smoother, faster and safer journeys by using redirected HS2 funding to make the right long-term decisions for a brighter future.

Londoners will see rapid improvements to the road network with 7.5 million made immediately available between now and the end of March, followed by a further 7.5 million in 2024 to 2025. The remainder of the 235 million boost extends until 2034, helping to maintain Londons roads for the next decade.

This week also saw the government and TfL agree a new 250 million funding injection for 2024 to improve Londons transport system. The government has been clear that this investment is for TfL to continue delivering its investment programme, including new trains for the Piccadilly line, a scheme that will support an estimated 700 skilled rail manufacturing jobs in Yorkshire and up to 2,000 more jobs in supply chains across the country.?

We have also announced tough regulations earlier this year to crack down on utility companies causing pothole pain with botched street works, through stricter inspections and costs for the worst offenders backed by further measures in our Plan for Drivers, announced in October.

These include a 70 million fund to keep traffic flowing, updating 20 miles per hour zone guidance for England to help prevent inappropriate blanket use and measures to speed up the rollout of electric vehicle charging.

The Department for Transport is also carrying out a review of low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs). As set out in the Plan for Drivers, once this is complete we will consider new guidance on LTNs with a focus on the importance of strong local support and how to address existing LTNs that have not secured that support.

A recent survey from the AA shows that fixing potholes and investing in roads maintenance is a priority for 96% of drivers. These funds can also help boost road safety and encourage active travel, as smoother road surfaces will make it safer and easier for cyclists to use roads with greater confidence.