Roads maintenance funding allocations confirmed for 2022/23: CCN response

This week the government has confirmed its road maintenance allocations for local authorities for the 2022/23 financial year.

These allocations will be at the same level of funding as distributed during this present financial year, and follows concerns raised by the County Councils Network that the government was set to reduce these allocations from April, based on indicative figures from the October Spending Review. If this had happened, it could have led to a total reduction in roads funding for county local authorities of £480m compared to what those councils received two years ago.

Cllr Martin Hill, Devolution Spokesperson for the County Councils Network, said:

“Over recent weeks the County Councils Network (CCN) has raised concerns on future funding levels for local authority roads maintenance, and our fears that county authorities could face significant reductions from April, on top of reductions this current year, based on indictive figures contained in the Spending Review.

“We are pleased that the government has confirmed that councils will not face a further reduction from April. However, this does not restore roads maintenance funding levels to those received by councils in 2020/21, meaning county authorities are still receiving almost £300m less funding compared to two years ago.

“Faced with rising costs, particularly with inflation at a thirty year high, councils will therefore continue to face difficult choices in prioritising road improvement works with reduced overall funding. We will continue to urge for funding levels to be restored to 2020/21 levels. The government receives £34 billion in taxes from motorists – more of that should be distributed locally so that roads are kept to a good standard.”