Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that rural local authorities, such as North Yorkshire, are able to access the Growth and Housing Accelerator Fund on equal terms with urban areas.

The £165 million Growth and Housing Acceleration Fund (GHAF) in the third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3) will bridge funding gaps for critical transport works on or near the Strategic Road Network to unblock stalled housing and employment sites across England. National Highways launched the GHAF on the 21 April 2026, inviting eligible authorities to register potential developments for consideration.

The fund is open to applications from across England, including in rural areas such as North Yorkshire. To ensure rural authorities can access the fund on equal terms, National Highways has published eligibility and assessment criteria and will operate a fair and equitable process, applying those criteria consistently to all proposals.

The fund website can be found here:- Growth and Housing Accelerator Fund - National Highways