Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the policy paper entitled Network North, published on 4 October 2023, whether the 10 new smaller Midlands road projects have entered the Road Improvement Strategy (a) programme and (b) development stage; whether formal approvals have been granted; and whether it will progress into the next strategy phase.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
All of these schemes are being promoted for consideration for potential funding as part of the Department’s Major Road Network/ Large Local Majors (MRN/ LLM) programme. None of the schemes will form part of the Government's Road Investment Strategy.
The position with each scheme is set out in the following table:
Scheme name | Cost | Completion date | Next business case stage |
A511 Growth Corridor | £62.72m | January 2027 | Full Business Case |
A614/A6097 Corridor scheme | £34.44m | December 2026 | Full Business Case |
North Hykeham Relief Road | £193.71m | November 2028 | Full Business Case |
A509 Isham Bypass | £111.31m | December 2027 | Outline Business Case |
Chesterfield – Staveley Regeneration Route | £166.40m | November 2027 | Outline Business Case |
A43 Northampton – Kettering phase 3 | £28.58m | June 2028 | Strategic Outline Case |
Shrewsbury North Western Relief Road | Tbc – subject to Shropshire Council’s procurement exercise | October 2026 | Full Business Case |
A4123 Birchley Island | £30.13m | December 2026 | Full Business Case |
A426/A4071 Avon Mill/Hunters Lane improvements | £24.28m | August 2026 | Outline Business Case |
A454 between Wolverhampton and East Park Gateway | £53.38m | September 2027 | Outline Business Case |
The table provides the latest cost estimate and completion date provided to the Department. These may be subject to change.
A conditional offer of funding for a scheme is made by the Department upon approval of an Outline Business Case. Final confirmation of funding is made upon approval of a Final Business Case.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to page 32 of Network North, published on 4 October 2023, what estimate he has made of the (a) cost and (b) completion date of the 10 smaller road schemes in the Midlands.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
All of these schemes are being promoted for consideration for potential funding as part of the Department’s Major Road Network/ Large Local Majors (MRN/ LLM) programme. None of the schemes will form part of the Government's Road Investment Strategy.
The position with each scheme is set out in the following table:
Scheme name | Cost | Completion date | Next business case stage |
A511 Growth Corridor | £62.72m | January 2027 | Full Business Case |
A614/A6097 Corridor scheme | £34.44m | December 2026 | Full Business Case |
North Hykeham Relief Road | £193.71m | November 2028 | Full Business Case |
A509 Isham Bypass | £111.31m | December 2027 | Outline Business Case |
Chesterfield – Staveley Regeneration Route | £166.40m | November 2027 | Outline Business Case |
A43 Northampton – Kettering phase 3 | £28.58m | June 2028 | Strategic Outline Case |
Shrewsbury North Western Relief Road | Tbc – subject to Shropshire Council’s procurement exercise | October 2026 | Full Business Case |
A4123 Birchley Island | £30.13m | December 2026 | Full Business Case |
A426/A4071 Avon Mill/Hunters Lane improvements | £24.28m | August 2026 | Outline Business Case |
A454 between Wolverhampton and East Park Gateway | £53.38m | September 2027 | Outline Business Case |
The table provides the latest cost estimate and completion date provided to the Department. These may be subject to change.
A conditional offer of funding for a scheme is made by the Department upon approval of an Outline Business Case. Final confirmation of funding is made upon approval of a Final Business Case.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much core funding his Department has allocated to each sub-national transport body (a) in each of the last five years and (b) over the next three years.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The table below sets out how much core funding the Department for Transport has allocated to each Sub-National Transport Body (STB) in each of the last five years, and the core funding allocations for the upcoming financial year. Where no figure has been provided, the STB was not yet formally established.
STB | 17/18 | 18/19 | 19/20 | 20/21 | 21/22 | 22/23 |
Transport for the North | £10m* | £10m | £10m | £7m | £6m | £6.5m |
Midlands Connect | £3m | £5m | £4m | £5m | £5m | £5m |
Transport for the South-East | £100k | £1m | £500k | £1.225m | £1.225m | £1.725m |
England’s Economic Heartland | £100k | £1m | £500k | £500k | £900k | £1.350m |
Transport East | N/A | N/A | N/A | £425k | £520k | £762k |
Western Gateway | N/A | N/A | N/A | £425k | £425k | £605k |
Peninsula Transport | N/A | N/A | N/A | £425k | £425k | £585k |
*This was provided to the Transport for the North Partnership Board, prior to TfN being established as a statutory body.
Whilst all non-statutory STBs have received an indicative projection of their funding across the Spending Review period, actual funding will be subject to an approved workplan and good performance over the previous Financial Year.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much core funding his Department has allocated to each Sub National Transport Body (a) in each of the last five years (b) over the next three years.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The table below sets out how much core funding the Department for Transport has allocated to each Sub-National Transport Body (STB) in each of the last five years, and the core funding allocations for the upcoming financial year. Where no figure has been provided, the STB had not yet been formally established.
STB | 17/18 | 18/19 | 19/20 | 20/21 | 21/22 | 22/23 |
Transport for the North | £10m* | £10m | £10m | £7m | £6m | £6.5m |
Midlands Connect | £3m | £5m | £4m | £5m | £5m | £5m |
Transport for the South-East | £100k | £1m | £500k | £1.225m | £1.225m | £1.725m |
England’s Economic Heartland | £100k | £1m | £500k | £500k | £900k | £1.350m |
Transport East | N/A | N/A | N/A | £425k | £520k | £762k |
Western Gateway | N/A | N/A | N/A | £425k | £425k | £605k |
Peninsula Transport | N/A | N/A | N/A | £425k | £425k | £585k |
*This was provided to the Transport for the North Partnership Board, prior to TfN being established as a statutory body.
Whilst all non-statutory STBs have received an indicative projection of their funding across the Spending Review period, actual funding will be subject to an approved workplan and good performance over the previous Financial Year.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham, Hodge Hill)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will (a) list the spending programmes his Department devolves for administration to local government in England and other local spending bodies and (b) specify the value for each programme for every year for which budgets are agreed.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
The table below sets out funding DLUHC core department devolved in 2021-22. Future years funding will be published in the usual way. The Local Government Finance Settlement can be found using this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/final-local-government-finance-settlement-england-2021-to-2022.
Programme Name | Value 2021-22 (£m) |
AFFORDABLE HOMES PROGRAMME | 215.0 |
BETTER CARE FUND PROGRAMME SUPPORT | 0.3 |
BICHESTER | 4.6 |
BRENT CROSS | 29.1 |
BROWNFIELD HOUSING FUND | 157.8 |
BROWNFIELD LAND RELEASE FUND | 64.4 |
BUILDING SAFETY REMEDIATION | 393.0 |
CHANGING FUTURES | 16.0 |
CHANGING PLACES | 0.3 |
COASTAL COMMUNITIES FUND | 0.1 |
COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS | 22.5 |
COMMUNITY HOUSING FUND | 6.0 |
COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP FUND - COF | 1.4 |
COVID-19 CLINICALLY & EXTREMELY VULNERABLE | 61.3 |
CUSTOM BUILD LAND DUTY | 0.1 |
DATA IMPROVEMENT SHARE OUTCOME FUND | 4.1 |
DIGITAL PLANNING REFORM | 1.9 |
DISABLED FACILITIES GRANTS (N) | 573.0 |
DOMESTIC ABUSE | 1.8 |
EAST BANK | 51.6 |
EBBSFLEET DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION | 19.0 |
ENGLISH LANGUAGE | 5.2 |
ESTATE REGEN FUND | 14.2 |
FAITH, RACE AND HATE GRANT SCHEME | 0.4 |
FLOOD RECOVERY FRAMEWORK SCHEMES | 3.7 |
FREEPORTS | 3.7 |
FUTURE HIGH STREET FUND | 257.5 |
GETTING BUILDING FUND | 449.9 |
GRT EDUCATION PROGRAMME | 1.0 |
HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL PROGRAMME | 1.0 |
HOME OF 2030 | 0.4 |
HOMELESSNESS | 378.8 |
HONG KONG BRITISH NATIONAL OVERSEAS (HKBNOS) WELCOME PROGRAMME | 6.5 |
HOUSING INFRASTRUCTURE FUND (CORE) | 37.9 |
INFRASTRUCTURE FOR COMMONWEALTH GAMES | 17.7 |
INTERFAITH NETWORK FOR THE UK | 0.3 |
LEP CORE FUNDING | 19.1 |
LESSONS FROM AUSCHWITZ UNIVERSITIES | 0.1 |
LEVELLING UP FUND | 103.2 |
LOCAL DIGITAL COLLABORATION | 12.4 |
LOCAL GROWTH INVESTMENT FUNDS | 347.5 |
LOCAL LAND CHARGES | 0.1 |
LOCAL RESILIENCE FORUMS (LRFS) | 8.1 |
MAYORAL CAPACITY FUND | 9.0 |
MIDLANDS ENGINE | 2.5 |
MODERN PLANNING SOFTWARE | 6.8 |
NCTT | 0.3 |
NEAR NEIGHBOURS | 1.0 |
NEIGHBOURHOOD PLANNING | 7.9 |
NEW DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS | 2.1 |
NEW HOMES BONUS | 622.3 |
NORTHERN POWERHOUSE | 0.5 |
OXFORD-CAMBRIDGE ARC | 1.0 |
OXFORDSHIRE HOUSING | 40.0 |
PARTNERSHIPS FOR PEOPLE AND PLACE | 0.7 |
PFI HOUSING | 138.7 |
PLANNING ADVISORY SERVICE (PAS) | 0.7 |
PLANNING DELIVERY FUND | 5.3 |
PLANNING REFORM | 2.8 |
REDCAR AND CLEVELAND BOROUGH COUNCIL | 3.7 |
REGIONAL CONTROL CENTRES | 4.2 |
REMEMBERING SREBRENICA | 0.3 |
REOPENING HIGH STREETS SAFELY | 26.8 |
RIGHT TO BUY RECEIPTS | 12.3 |
ROUGH SLEEPING | 325.4 |
ROUGH SLEEPING COVID RESPONSE | 40.3 |
SCHOOLS LINKING | 0.2 |
SECRETARIAT FOR THE INDEPENDENT ANTISEMITISM ADVISER | 0.1 |
SHIELDING SUPPORT | 40.8 |
SSI STEELWORKS | 25.7 |
STDC - TEESWORKS WORKS | 11.1 |
STRENGTHENING FAITH INSTITUTIONS | 0.5 |
STRONGER TOWNS CAPACITY FUNDING | 162.4 |
SUPPORTED HOUSING OVERSIGHT PILOTS | 2.4 |
SUPPORTING FAMILIES | 163.7 |
TENANT FEES ACT 2019 | 0.8 |
THAMES ESTUARY | 1.5 |
TOWNS FUND | 0.5 |
TRANSPORT FOR EBBSFLEET | 1.7 |
UK COMMUNITY RENEWAL FUND | 122.5 |
VOLUNTARY AND COMMUNITY SECTOR FUNDING FOR ROUGH SLEEPING AND HOMELESSNESS | 2.7 |
VOLUNTARY RIGHT TO BUY | 1.4 |
WAKING WATCH | 0.4 |
WESTERN GATEWAY CORE FUNDING | 1.0 |
WINDRUSH | 0.7 |
WOMENS AID | 0.3 |
YOUTH HOMELESSNESS | 0.6 |
Asked by: Geoffrey Cox (Conservative - Torridge and West Devon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment his Department has made of the transport infrastructure needs of rural and coastal communities in the South West region.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Local areas are best placed to assess their transport infrastructure needs. With DfT funding, the two sub-national transport bodies in the South West, Peninsula Transport and Western Gateway, are in the process of developing transport strategies for their regions which will look at the entirety of the South West’s transport needs.
Asked by: Lord Triesman (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to develop the M5 as a growth corridor; and whether they have asked the National Infrastructure Commission to consider such a proposal.
Answered by Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist
Government has no plans at present to develop the M5 as a growth corridor. However, this strategic corridor is important for the economies of the Midlands Engine and the Western Gateway.
We have supported growth through a number of key projects which include: the recent announcement of £219million Housing Infrastructure Fund to improve Junction 10 in Gloucestershire; £12.19million Local Growth Funding to improve the junction 25 at Taunton; and also the creation of 2 Enterprise Zones, Gravity at junction 23 near Bridgwater and at the Exeter and East Devon Enterprise Zone at junction 29.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when the Government plans to announce the seed funding to establish the Great South West initiative.
Answered by Simon Clarke
Following the announcement of the Western Gateway we have asked local partners to consider options for geography across the South West and South Wales. These discussions are still ongoing and once they report back we will look to make decisions of how to support pan-regional geography options.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 15 May 2019 to Question 252654, if he will list all Port Connectivity Study case study projects that are being progressed through the (a) Road Investment Strategies 1 and 2, (b) Control Period 6, (c) the Major Roads Network and (d) other funding route processes; and what the stage of development is for each scheme.
Answered by Andrew Jones
(a) The schemes listed below, mentioned in the “A Study of England’s Port Connectivity” report and “9 Regional case studies” report are being progressed through the current Road Investment Strategy:
Scheme Name | Stage of Development |
A1 North of Ellingham | Under construction |
A19/A1058 Coast Road | Opened March 2019 |
A19 Testos | Under Construction |
A19 Down Hill Lane Junction Improvement | In Development |
A19 Norton to Wynyard | In development |
M62 J20-25 | In development |
A1 Leeming Bar and Barton | Opened to traffic in March 2018 |
A63: Castle Street Hull | In development |
A160/A180 Improvements to Immingham | Opened to Traffic in March 2017 |
A47 Wansford to Sutton | In Development |
A47 North Tuddenham to Easton | In Development |
A47 Blofield to North Burlingham | In Development |
A47 Acle Straight | Completed |
A14 Cambridge to Huntington | Under Construction |
A12 Chelmsford to A120 | In development |
M25 Junction 30 (A13) | Opened for traffic December 2016 |
M2 Junction 5 (A249) | In development |
A20 access at Dover | Completed |
A27 Worthing and Lancing | In development |
A31 widening at Ringwood | In development |
M271/A35 Redbridge roundabout upgrade | In development |
M27 Southampton Junctions | In development |
M3 Junction 9 Improvements | In development |
A34 Oxford Junctions | Options Development |
M49 Avonmouth junction | Under Construction |
A30 Temple to Carblake | Opened for Traffic July 2017 |
A30 Chiverton to Carland Cross | In development |
M6, M60 and M62 smart motorway | Opened for traffic July 2018 |
M6 Junctions 10a-13 | Opened to traffic February 2016 |
M6 Junctions 16-19 | Opened to traffic March 2019 |
M6 Junctions 21A-26 | In Development |
M60 Junctions 24-27 and Junction 1-4 | In Development |
M6 Junctions 2-4 | Under Construction |
M62 Junctions 10-12 | Under Construction |
M62 Junction 20-25 | In Development |
M6 Junction 22 Upgrade | Options Development |
A5 Dodwells to Longshoot widening | In Development |
A5036 Princess Way – Access to Port of Liverpool | In development |
Lower Thames Crossing | In development |
In addition, the following two schemes are being funded through Highway England’s congestion relief fund:
A63: Garrison Road
A69 Junction improvements
The A120 improvement scheme has been developed by Essex County Council to be considered for potential inclusion in the second Road Investment Strategy.
The Government intends to announce its decisions on further enhancement schemes in the second Road Investment Strategy later this year.
The table below details schemes progressed through Control Period 6:
Scheme | Region | Status |
Diversionary access for Teesport | North East Ports | Teesport – Northallerton Gauge: in development |
Gauge clearance schemes to W12, connections to Immingham Port | Humber Ports | In delivery |
A range of capacity and gauge options identified along the Felixstowe to West Midlands corridor | Haven Ports | Ely Area Capacity Scheme, Haughley Junction, Ely – Soham redoubling and Leicester area capacity are all in development |
Felixstowe branch line | Haven Ports | In delivery |
Thames Haven level crossing improvements | London and Medway Ports | Mucking level crossing: in delivery. Other interventions are in development |
Improved connections to Southampton maritime terminal | Solent area Ports | In delivery |
Gauge clearance to W10 Bristol/Birmingham | Bristol and south west ports | In development (to Bristol / Cardiff – not Birmingham) |
Gauge clearance infill to W12 | Bristol and South West Ports | Some sections completed in CP5 in conjunction with GWEP electrification works. Further locations in development in CP6. |
Bootle branch line improvements | Mersey and North West Ports | In delivery |
(c) No Major Road Network schemes are included in the Port Connectivity Study.
(d) The following schemes are being progressed or have been progressed through other funding route processes:
Funding Route | Project Name | Port | Status |
Highways Maintenance Challenge Fund | Wirral Dock Bridges | Birkenhead | Completed June 2018 |
Large Local Majors | Lake Lothing Third Crossing | Lowestoft | DCO in preparation |
Large Local Majors | Great Yarmouth Third Crossing | Great Yarmouth | DCO in preparation |
Local Growth Fund | Port of Workington Road Access | Workington | In Preparation |
Local Growth Fund | A185/A194/A19 Traffic Movements (A194/A185 The Arches Junction) | Port of Tyne | Completed |
Local Growth Fund | A19/A194/A1300 Lindisfarne Roundabout | Port of Tyne | Completed Summer 2017 |
Local Growth Fund | A19 to North Bank of Tyne Improvements | Port of Tyne | Expected to be in construction in 2020 |
Local Growth Fund | Rail Gauge Enhancements - Port of Immingham to ECML at Doncaster | Immingham | In progress, expected completion date of 2021 |
Local Growth Fund | South Bank Wharf roundabout and access improvements | Teesport | Business Case being prepared |
Local Growth Fund | A565 North Liverpool Key Corridor | Liverpool | Start of Construction Spring 2017 and expected completion in 2019 |
Local Growth Fund | Port of Poole Infrastructure – Poole Bridge Approach Spans | Poole | Work completed and bridge reopened January 2018 |
Local Growth Fund (DfT ‘tail’ major scheme | A180/A18 Link | Immingham | Completed June 2016 |
DfT ‘tail’ major scheme | Heysham-M6 Link Road | Heysham | Completed October 2016 |
Local Growth Fund (DfT Portfolio Scheme) | Sunderland Strategic Transport Corridor (Low Carbon Zone to City Centre to Port) – New Wear Bridge to City Centre | Sunderland | Construction due to begin spring 2019, Estimated completion 2021 |
Local Growth Fund (DfT Portfolio Scheme) | Sunderland Strategic Transport Corridor - New Wear Crossing | Sunderland | Opened 28 August 2018 |
Regional Growth Fund | Western Gateway Infrastructure Scheme | Port Salford | Completed December 2017 |
Local Growth Fund (DfT portfolio scheme) | Newhaven Port Access Road, Parker Pen & East Side | Newhaven | Under construction |
Local Growth Fund (DfT Portfolio Scheme) | Sunderland Strategic Transport Corridor (Low Carbon Zone to City Centre to Port) – New Wear Bridge to City Centre |
| Construction due to begin spring 2019, estimated completion 2021 |
Local Growth Fund (DfT portfolio scheme) | Sunderland Strategic Transport Corridor - New Wear Crossing | Sunderland | Opened 28 August 2018 |
Local Growth Fund (DfT portfolio scheme) | A13 Widening | London Gateway | Advance works commenced. Estimated completion Winter 2020/21. |
Regional Growth Fund | Western Gateway Infrastructure Scheme | Port Salford | Completed December 2017 |
Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect (1) funding to be approved, and (2) an application for a Development Consent Order to be made, for a Western Rail Link to Heathrow Airport.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government fully supports the development of a Western Rail Link to Heathrow.
The development of a five case business case for the Western Rail Link to Heathrow is nearing completion. The Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline sets out the process and principles underpinning funding of enhancements to the railway.
Subject a satisfactory business case, and the agreement of acceptable terms with the Heathrow aviation industry, funding would be made available to take the project forward to the ‘Design’ gateway. On that basis, Network Rail expects to submit its Development Consent Order later in the Autumn.