Richard has welcomed £14,725,000 and £21,983,000 of funding from the Conservative government over the next eleven years in Bedford Borough and Central Bedfordshire local authorities, respectively, to repair our roads.
The funding follows the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s announcement at Conservative Party Conference that the £36 billion that would have been spent extending HS2 would now be spent on long-term transport improvements that will deliver better, faster journeys for far more people.
New plans allow the government to invest £8.3 billion, enough to resurface over 5,000 miles of roads across the country, saving motorists up to £440 on vehicle repairs and creating smoother, safer and easier journeys for all.
Across Bedford Borough, local highway authorities will receive £470K this financial year and across Central Bedfordshire the local highways authority will receive £702K this year, followed by a further £470K and £702K for each local authority, respectively, for 2024-25, as part of a long-term funding plan through to 2034.
This funding comes on top of the local transport, road and rail budgets allocated at the last Spending Review and in addition to what local authorities were already expecting for the next decade.
This announcement is only possible due to the long-term decision the government has taken to redirect every penny of savings from HS2 in transport projects across the country – benefitting more people in more places, more quickly.
Commenting, Richard Fuller MP said:
People across North East Bedfordshire rely on our roads to go about their daily lives, and I know the inconvenience potholes can cause.
That is why I welcome the Government’s decision to redirect HS2 funding to local highway authorities, with Bedford Borough set to receive £14.7 million and Central Bedfordshire £21.9 million in total.
Well-maintained road surfaces could save drivers up to £440 each in expensive vehicle repairs, helping motorists keep more of the cash in their pocket.
