Skip to main content

UK Spending Review ‘increases capital investment in transport by 50%’

UK Chancellor George Osborne announced major investments in transport in the government’s Spending Review and Autumn Statement, despite a 37 per cent cut in the Department for Transport’s (DfT) operational budget. This was offset with a planned 50% per cent increase in capital expenditure for the DfT - rising to a total of US$92 billion. In addition to protecting overall police spending in line with inflation, an increase of US$1.3 billion by 2019-20, the review includes US$70 billion capital investment
November 26, 2015 Read time: 3 mins
UK Chancellor George Osborne announced major investments in transport in the government’s Spending Review and Autumn Statement, despite a 37 per cent cut in the 1837 Department for Transport’s (DfT) operational budget. This was offset with a planned 50% per cent increase in capital expenditure for the DfT - rising to a total of US$92 billion.

In addition to protecting overall police spending in line with inflation, an increase of US$1.3 billion by 2019-20, the review includes US$70 billion capital investment by the Department for Transport (DfT) over the next five years on High Speed Two (HS2), roads and local transport.

Development funding of US$452 million is provided for the next generation of transformative transport infrastructure, and US$716 million of new funding to support construction of large local transport projects.

The government has committed to fully funding the road investment strategy. 8101 Highways England will deliver 112 major roads schemes worth over US$22.6 billion to 2020-21, with an average benefit of US$6 for every US$1.5 invested.

Construction will begin on HS2 during the Parliament and the Spending Review confirms a funding envelope of US$84 trillion in 2015 prices, which will deliver HS2 from London to Birmingham by 2026 and to Leeds and Manchester by 2033.

The government will also establish a new US$452 million Transport Development Fund, supporting development work for transformative transport infrastructure projects. This could include providing development funding for projects such as Crossrail 2 and proposals emerging from the northern transport strategy, following advice from the National Infrastructure Commission.

In addition, US$716 million of investment will be provided through the Local Majors Fund which will mean that local areas can bid for funding for projects such as the North Devon Link Road, the A391 in Cornwall, and the Lowestoft Third River Crossing and Ipswich Wet Dock Crossing.

More than US$900 million is to be spent between 2015-16 and 2020-21 to support uptake and manufacturing of ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs) in the UK, while US$452 will be invested in cycling between 2015-16 and 2020-21, including delivering in full Cycle Ambition City scheme, with construction of segregated cycle lanes including 115 kilometres in Birmingham and 56 kilometres in Manchester.

The government will also continue to devolve significant transport powers to mayor-led city regions, including Greater Manchester, Sheffield City Region, Liverpool City Region, the north-east, Tees Valley and the West Midlands.

UTC

Related Content

  • November 7, 2016
    UK’S infrastructure on the up, but now it’s all about delivery – CBI/AECOM
    Almost half of firms believe the UK’s infrastructure has improved over the past five years, but only a quarter think it will pick up in the next five years, and two thirds suspect it will hamper the country’s international competitiveness in the coming decades, according to the 2016 CBI/AECOM Infrastructure Survey.
  • December 20, 2016
    M6 should be priority for Government investment, drivers tell FTA
    The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has been looking at stretches of the UK’s strategic road network that would most benefit from Government investment following the Chancellor’s commitment in his Autumn Statement to fund improvements to congestion hot spots. Philip Hammond said the Government would spend IS$1.6 billion (£1.3 billion) on improving England’s roads, including US$222 million (£220 million) on tackling congestion at pinch points and US$33 million (£27 million) on an expressway connecting Ox
  • June 2, 2015
    Transport Secretary says high-speed rail and Northern Powerhouse ‘a priority’
    In a keynote speech in Leeds, UK Transport Patrick McLoughlin has confirmed high-speed rail and Northern Powerhouse are a priority. He said that boosting growth in the north, rebalancing the economy and creating a Northern Powerhouse were a vital part of the long-term economic plan and confirmed that work on High Speed 2 (HS2) is on track to start in 2017. Work is also well underway on developing plans for high-speed east-west rail links. He confirmed that US$18 billion government funding would be inv
  • April 24, 2017
    UK government publishes long-term plan to increase cycling and walking
    The UK government has published its US$1.5 billion (£1.2 billion) long-term plan to make cycling and walking the natural choice for shorter journeys. The government wants cycling and walking to become the norm by 2040 and will target funding at innovative ways to encourage people onto a bike or to use their own two feet for shorter journeys. Plans include specific objectives to double cycling, reduce cycling accidents and increase the proportion of five to 10 year-olds walking to school to 55 per cent by 20