Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the time taken for Section 278 approvals on SME development timelines.

The Government recognises that the road adoption process under the Highways Act 1980, including Section 278 agreements where developers modify existing public highways, has become increasingly fragmented and prolonged across England. This has contributed to a decline in road adoption rates. In response, the Department for Transport is conducting research to better understand the underlying causes and identify opportunities for improvement.