The commission says cutting the current range of around 15 funding streams for local transport down to just two could help to ‘level up’ towns across the country.

A proposed ‘dual track’ approach would see councils outside London receive flexible budgets based on population and local network size while a targeted scheme would help areas with poor connectivity.

In total up to £6Bn should be made available for local transport investment each year over the next five years, it says, with authorities able to plan and deliver long term infrastructure strategies.

“Levelling up cannot be done from Whitehall,” said National Infrastructure Commissioner Bridget Rosewell. “Every English town faces a different set of challenges and opportunities and local leaders are best placed to develop strategies to address these.

“Competing against other councils for multiple pots of cash creates a focus on the short term, continual uncertainty, and burns up staff time. Local councils need to be empowered to deliver transformational plans for the future and held accountable for doing so,” she added.

The report says all local transport authorities should have a long term infrastructure strategy for the towns in its area, supported by a pipeline of projects. To ensure accountability, these should set out clear outcomes which can be assessed at the end of each five year funding period.

It also calls on the Government to publish an electric vehicle charging infrastructure strategy “without further delay” and for local authorities to be given more of a role in planning and managing the roll out of on street chargers.

The Local Government Association’s economy spokesman David Renard welcomed the National Infrastructure Commission’s report and said: “Recent support to invest in local infrastructure by the Government has been important but these funds are sometimes fragmented and complex.

“Reducing and simplifying the number of funding streams available to councils and providing long term certainty will help councils plan and deliver better transport and connectivity across the country.”

(Photograph: cktravels.com - Shutterstock)