Cabinet members have approved close to £3m of central Government money aimed to improve and maintain the carriageways, footpaths and highway structures of North East Lincolnshire.
Councillor Stewart Swinburn, portfolio holder for environment and transport, has welcomed the Department for Transport funding following a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday 10 March.
The funding will be used for the year ahead, starting in April. It will contribute towards major schemes planned for the area, alongside the ongoing core schemes – all with the purpose of improving road safety, public transport, carriageways and footpaths, along with improving our electric vehicle infrastructure and the uptake of sustainable transport methods.
A number of projects taking place in the area will benefit from Local Transport funding, with it topping up external funding pots or council monies to enable projects to move forward. Almost half of the funding will be used for ongoing highway maintenance stretching across North East Lincolnshire.
Funding will also be used for a variety of initiatives including encouraging greater uptake of cycling and walking, with supporting infrastructure improvements, as well as public transport improvements and a variety of road safety schemes.
Following the approval, Councillor Stewart Swinburn, said: “The schemes we plan to take forward next year are based on a number of factors, all following the themes set in our Local Transport Plan, and align closely with the ambitions set out nationally by the Government, including the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution.
“Over the next year, before schemes get on the ground, I would like to assure those directly affected that we will be engaging throughout the process and where appropriate, asking for feedback during the detailed design stages.
“The Local Transport Plan is fundamental to the work delivered across the highways and transport service – enabling to name just a few, school crossing patrols, Public Rights of Way projects and key road safety work to progress, but also supporting major schemes such as the Cycle Superhighway and the Corporation Road Bridge refurbishment, both set to be on the ground in the coming months.”
Specific initiatives for the year ahead will include:
- Road safety improvements near Healing Academy
- Contribution to wider CCTV for parking enforcement outside schools
- Support for the installation of new electric vehicle charging points
- A180 Alexandra Docks bridge joint replacement and re-waterproofing
“Our aim with this funding is to take forward a raft of projects that will have the biggest benefit to the residents and businesses in North East Lincolnshire,” added Cllr Swinburn. “In carrying out these projects, it is important to not just focus on the long-term benefits of these works, but also the value in the job creation for local people for the duration of the works.”
This year (2020/21), Local Transport Plan funding has helped support several major schemes, including:
- A18 road safety improvements
- South Humber Bank Major Maintenance scheme
- B1444 Little Coates/Cambridge Road junction improvements
- Toll Bar junction improvement scheme
In addition, £1,107,000 of pothole funding has been awarded to the council, bringing the highways funding available for 2021/22 to £3,981,000.
The Cabinet decision allows for the formal acceptance of the Department for Transport funding and for delivery of schemes to start April onwards.
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