Dr Neil Hudson MP welcomed £286,957,000 of Conservative Government funding that has been allocated to Cumbria's two local authorities to resurface more roads and fix more potholes. Since the last financial year, central Government has already boosted Cumbrian roads funding by 30% and is continuing to drive improvements locally.
To ensure his constituents reap the full rewards of this dramatic funding uplift, Dr Neil Hudson MP has written to council leaders ensuring they put the money to good use by detailing which routes they are planning to upgrade and complying with new reporting requirements introduced by Government.
Nationally the Conservative Government are providing an extra £8.3 billion of extra roads resurfacing funding for English local highway authorities between 2023/24 to 2033/34. This money will, over time, transform the condition of local roads, allowing all road users smoother, faster, and safer trips - paid for with savings delivered by the Prime Minister’s decision to cancel HS2 Phase 2. All HS2 savings that would have been spent in the North or the Midlands will still be spent there, with savings from a revised approach to delivering Euston station shared across the rest of the country.
Individual highway authorities’ allocations are online, as is the Network North Command Paper, which makes it clear this funding is in addition to transport funding from the last Spending Review and on top of what authorities were expecting to receive.
As per the command paper, every penny committed to the Northern leg will go to the North, every penny committed to the Midlands leg to the Midlands, and every penny saved from our new arrangement for Euston station will be spread across every other region in the country.
Dr Neil Hudson MP said:
"Having already seen a 30% increase in roads funding since the last financial year, our Conservative Government is set to deliver a mammoth £287 million to Cumbrian councils in the next 10 years.
"This is incredible news, but we cannot take it for granted. With current financial constraints on all levels of Government, we must not have a repeat of the past where the then County Council returned monies to Westminster which could have been spent on local community transport costs.
"As such, I have written to councils urging them to take advantage of Conservative Government monies, asking where the money will be spent and ensuring they comply fully with new reporting requirements.
"We are committed to improving the lives of motorists across the county - unlocking economic potential, getting people connected, and overcoming our rural geography challenges."
