Lilian Greenwood’s appointment as the new roads minister brings hopes for improved local road conditions amidst significant funding challenges.
- The Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) warns of a £14.4 billion highway repair backlog in England.
- Clarity on funding pledges and their integration into local budgets is urgently required.
- The AIA advocates for sustained, accountable funding strategies for local roads.
- The logistics industry urges the new government to prioritise logistics for economic growth.
The recent appointment of Lilian Greenwood as the new roads minister has been met with cautious optimism by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA), an influential body concerned with road infrastructure in the UK. The AIA has highlighted the substantial challenges she faces, primarily the daunting £14.4 billion highway repair backlog in England, as detailed in their Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey report. This backlog is a critical issue that requires immediate and focused attention if meaningful improvements to the local road network are to be realised by the end of the current parliamentary term.
David Giles, Chair of the AIA, expressed a willingness to collaborate with Lilian Greenwood and her team at the Department for Transport (DfT), stressing the importance of honouring Labour’s manifesto commitment to maintaining and renewing Britain’s road network through increased investment. The alliance is eager to see whether the newly pledged £65 million annually is supplementary to the previously reallocated funds under the Network North plan, which earmarked £8.3 billion for highways maintenance in England, including London, for the decade spanning 2023 to 2033. Local authorities have already incorporated this £8.3 billion into their budgeting plans and are dependent on it to address their maintenance backlogs.
Clarity on the distribution and safeguarding of these funds is paramount. The AIA has consistently called for a long-term funding strategy that ensures local highways teams can undertake timely maintenance work. Such an approach, according to Giles, would optimise benefits for road users and the broader economy, ensuring financial resources are deployed effectively for the public good.
Besides addressing road maintenance funding, there is a strong call for the newly elected Labour government to prioritise logistics as a central component of economic growth. Logistics UK has suggested that this sector’s strategic development could catalyse economic momentum within the initial 100 days of the new administration. However, there remains a lingering gap in government response, with only two Department for Transport appointments having been confirmed thus far.
The demand for a dedicated Logistics Minister is underscored by voices within the industry, like the UK Warehousing Association, which also advocates for governmental support in areas such as rooftop solar power expansion and apprenticeship reforms. Given logistics’ pivotal role in the national economy, its exclusion from the government’s industrial strategy highlights a significant oversight that stakeholders wish to rectify.
The road ahead for Lilian Greenwood as roads minister involves navigating significant financial and logistical hurdles to fulfil governmental pledges.
