Chancellor to pump extra £1.3bn into local roads

Aaron Morby 8 years ago
Share

Chancellor Phillip Hammond will unveil a £1.3bn programme of local road and pinpoint improvements in the Autumn Statement on Wednesday.

Chancellor Phillip Hammond seeks economic boost from easing traffic congestion
Chancellor Phillip Hammond seeks economic boost from easing traffic congestion

His modest road spending pledge falls short of industry hopes for a grandiose post-Brexit vote spending boost for infrastructure to combat slowing economic growth.

Instead the Government is looking to leverage more by supporting smaller, productivity-boosting projects.

The Chancellor will prioritise projects that can be built quickly to deliver quick wins, while easing road congestion which costs the country £13bn each year.

The roads package forms part of an expected £5bn economic stimulus. Around £1.1bn will go to reducing congestion and upgrading local roads and the remaining £220m into tackling “pinch points” on England’s motorways and major A roads.

The Chacellor will also pledge £27m to develop plans for a major new expressway connecting Oxford, Milton Keynes and Cambridge.

This will allow detailed design work to get underway straightaway on the so-called brain belt expressway.

There is also expected to be a modest package to expand existing grammar schools.

House builders that stockpile land will also be threatened with fines under plans which will be detailed later this year.

His statement is also expected to include measures to help smaller house-builders.

A £3bn housing fund has already been announced and will help small family-owned firms build 25,000 new homes by 2020 and up to 225,000 in the longer term.

A separate £2bn loan fund will pay for a further 15,000 new homes by 2020 on surplus public sector land with extra cash.

Latest news

Historic property magazine to close

Estates Gazette has been in business since 1858
15 hours ago

M&S Marble Arch rebuild approved after three-year planning fight

Plans were delayed when Michael Gove backed carbon campaigners
2 days ago

£191m revamp funding approved for London Barbican Centre

Construction to start in 2027 on five-year programme
1 day ago

RED Construction tops £100m turnover

Builder maintains profit margin at 1.7% as business nearly doubles in size
23 hours ago

Timber designs shortlisted for roads ‘footbridge of the future’

Three of five designs for National Highways propose timber structures over busy highways
23 hours ago

PM pledges to fast-track 150 infrastructure schemes

Fresh promise to speed up planning decisions on infrastructure and house building
2 days ago

Amey FM firm fined after legionella kills prisoner

Court fines company £600,000 for prison upkeep failures
23 hours ago

Buyers report boom in commercial work

Construction bucks slowdown in general economy
2 days ago

Plans in for £250m Stockport 8 housing-led scheme

Work to start on phase 1 by the end of next year
2 days ago

Galliford Try tops monthly contracts league

Contract awards slow down in November
2 days ago

Erith explosives set demolition record at Sizewell

Watch blast at former nuclear turbine hall: Video
2 days ago

Vistry to build 950 homes next to Olympic Park

Developer signed for £600m Pudding Mill Lane scheme in East London
2 days ago

Inflatable formwork used for 45m tall cement silo

Ground-breaking dome silo inflated at Tilbury Docks
2 days ago

Briggs & Forrester sells maintenance arm

100 engineers to move over to new owner
3 days ago

£2bn Edinburgh ‘West Town’ scheme approved

7,000 homes to be built at 205-acre site
3 days ago

Rayner approves Lancashire super prison

Communities secretary overrules planning inspector for 1,700 inmate prison.
3 days ago

Wates boss returns after collapse of his own contractor

Paul Nicholls was head of the failed Real construction group
4 days ago

Trio secure Birmingham deal to retrofit 3,000 homes a year

Specialist contractors to install insulation, efficient heating and solar panels
3 days ago

Costain confirms £400m HS2 tunnels win

Work to start early next year on tunnel and lineside mechanical and electrical systems
3 days ago

First nuclear reactor installed at Hinkley: Video

Watch precision operation at Somerset site
3 days ago

Winner named for Harbourside revamp

Local Irvine contractor to start transformation of beach front
3 days ago

New Fair Payment Code goes live today

Latest bid to get subcontractors and suppliers paid within 30 days
4 days ago

Lincolnshire concrete supplier files administration notice

Ever Readymix Concrete & Screed operates three depots and a fleet of 20 trucks
4 days ago

Graham lands first deal on Liverpool’s largest brownfield site

Contractor bags infrastructure package on 10.5 hectare site
5 days ago

Bouygues UK boss to step down

Fabienne Viala to leave after eight years at the helm
5 days ago

Galliford Try scoops £87m brace of London jobs

Firm will redevelop a prominent corner building on Sloane Street in Chelsea
4 days ago

New HS2 boss Mark Wild starts amid prep for final TBM drives

Former Crossrail CEO starts with a sharp focus on controlling costs
5 days ago

Ten consultants land Thames Water major upgrade places

Firms will share £400m of fee work over next five years
5 days ago

Rayner ultimatum to fix all unsafe tall buildings by 2029

Recladding work must start on all 18m+ resi buildings by 2027
5 days ago

ISG administrator finds just £35m to pay down £1.1bn debt

Failed firm was set to report £148m blackhole from legacy jobs
5 days ago

Contractor services