£45.5m of savings allows nine local transport schemes to go ahead

A further 23 schemes given the green light to bid for funding

Nine local transport schemes have been given the go-ahead after £45.5m of savings were identified, the Department for Transport (DfT) have announced.

The DfT announced in October that it was seeking best and final offers from local authorities for 10 schemes which it was prepared in principle to support.

The schemes, which are worth over £365m with an overall DfT contribution of £275m, include extending Midland Metro tram line through Birmingham City Centre, a new bus station and associated transport improvements in Mansfield and a new single carriageway road which will take traffic away from communities in Sefton.

Also, improvements to M5 J29, east of Exeter providing access to new housing and employment areas, improvements on the A57 east of M1 J31, near Todwick and a new road in Taunton to provide additional cross town capacity and access to areas of brownfield land.

A further 23 schemes have also been given the green light to bid for funding from a pot worth around £630m.

The DfT previously announced that other local transport schemes for which it had received funding bids had been assigned to one of two ‘pools’.

Schemes in the development pool were told that they would be invited to bid for funding later in 2011. Schemes in the ‘pre-qualification pool’ have been subject to further assessment to determine which of them can enter the development pool.

The Department hopes to fund the majority of the schemes now in the development pool subject to their business cases being of an acceptable standard, with decisions to be made by the end of 2011.

The schemes which have moved to the development pool include Luton Town Centre Transport Scheme, Morpeth Northern Bypass, Coventry-Nuneaton Rail Upgrade and South Essex Rapid Transit.

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said: "Following the spending review we challenged local authorities to look again at the cost of proposed schemes to ensure we get maximum value for every pound we spend."

Further information:
Department for Transport