Stamford & Rutland receive millions to improve transport infrastructure
It's after the cancellation of the northern leg of HS2
A big chunk of the funding from the cancelled northern leg of HS2 is coming to Stamford and Rutland.
More than £260 million will be given to Lincolnshire - while Rutland will receive £49 million.
The money will be used to improve local roads and transport services across the region.
With this batch of funding being split across seven years, it works out at around £37.5 million per year for Lincolnshire — £2.5 million a year shy of Lincolnshire County Council’s £400 million target to clear the current highways repairs backlog and improve all roads to mint condition.
The Prime Minister said in a radio interview this change of plan from HS2 to localised transport funding is “the right priority” for the country.
“This is money that has resulted because of the decision I took on HS2 last year,” he said.
“I’ve taken every penny of those billions that would have been spent on HS2 in the coming years, and reinvested that in the North and Midlands on transport.
“That is what people are much more reliant on. It represents an almost unprecedented increase in the amount of money available for local areas to spend on the transport they care about — whether it’s local rail, road or bus services.”
But the Prime Minister wouldn’t answer whether this funding is basically reinstated money that was taken from the county council when its highways budget was slashed by 25% in recent years.
Yet Rishi Sunak mentioned an extra £600 million of wider funding for councils across the country, saying this translates to around 8.5% more money than last year for local authorities to spend on services.
Cllr Richard Davies, executive member for highways at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “We cautiously welcome this news about the reallocation of HS2 funding, as this is something we’ve been calling for from central government for years."
“This seven-year commitment for about £37 million a year extra will mean a 30-40% increase in our maintenance budget over that time, allowing us to build on the work we’re currently doing, including filling 1,000 potholes a week.”