Government cut to motorway and trunk road spending slammed by RHA

The Third Road Investment Strategy, published this week, will be used to improve England's motorways and trunk roads between 2026-31. Richard Smith RHA managing director said: "This is a real missed opportunity, and we will still continue to make the case to ministers that ambitious investment in new roads can drive growth, particularly at a time when the economy is stalling and the costs of living and doing business are so high. "This lack of prioritising new roads investment will have long-term impacts on haulage, coach and van businesses, with congestion costing the UK economy more than GBP30bn a year in delays and lost productivity.

"We're clear that new roads are a vital enabler to boost business and better connect communities - indeed the Government's ambitious housebuilding programme to deliver 1.5m new homes by 2029 will rely on a fit-for-purposes national infrastructure." Smith welcomed some major new schemes that were given the go-ahead earlier this year, including the Lower Thames Crossing, A66 Northern Trans-Pennine scheme, the A46 Bypass at Newark and the M60 Simister Island - all of which RHA had campaigned for. He added: "We await specific plans detailed through National Highways' Strategic Delivery Plan later in the year, and note that DfT will ringfence aspects of RIS3 for 'Designated Funds' schemes which have been a vital source for improving truck stops."

Logistics UK praised RIS3 for recognising that the UK's motorways and trunk roads are "the economic arteries of the country" and it is "delays, bottlenecks and deteriorating infrastructure that stifle progress", but the business group called for the focus to now switch to delivery. Jonathan Walker,Logistics UK head of Infrastructure and planning policy said: "The current poor road conditions act as a "tax on business" and our members will be encouraged that the Road Investment Strategy addresses network reliability through a focus on proactive asset management and preventative maintenance. "It is estimated that every GBP1 invested in the SRN returns over GBP2 to society so the business case for investment is clear.

"Logistics UK is also pleased to see network performance on key freight routes will be prioritised, and there are explicit commitments to meet the needs of the freight and logistics sector through areas such as alleviating weight and height restrictions and improving driver facilities - something Logistics UK has been campaigning for, for several years.

"The emphasis must now be on delivery and ensuring that National Highways is sustainably funded to leave the SRN in a better condition at the end of the RIS3 period in 2031 than it is today."