CIHT has submitted a letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer highlighting the important role played by transport infrastructure. CIHT specifically called for the Comprehensive Spending Review to ‘ensure that the maintenance of the local road network is sufficiently funded’.

The local road network covers 98% of all roads and includes many roads which play a vital role in connecting to the strategic road network and which help maintain the regional and local businesses which are so critical to the national economy. The Spending Review provides an opportunity to recognise the value and importance of the local road network to the economy.

CIHT believes that local authorities need increased investment to address their highways maintenance backlog. Failure to address deteriorating assets will result in much higher costs to rectify the problems in the future. The long-term cost of maintaining the network could be significantly reduced by taking forward intensive improvements to local roads.
CIHT highlighted the following issues of being key importance in ensuring that proper investment is made in the UK’s highway assets:

•    The UK must develop a long term transport infrastructure investment strategy. To achieve success the strategy must have cross-party agreement and look beyond the political cycle to a 20 year timeframe. CIHT believe that the strategy must identify new ways of financing the development of new and existing transport infrastructure across the UK.

•    The proposed Department for Transport Feasibility Study on improving and maintaining the highway through the use of Private Sector Funds creates the opportunity for a genuine debate on the future operation of the strategic road network in England. CIHT believe that any mechanism going forward must ensure that appropriate investment is put to both maintaining and improving the network.

•    There is a general recognition and acceptance from all the main political parties on the need to invest in transport infrastructure and the benefits that flow from that investment. CIHT would like to see this translated into a positive response for the strategic & local road network and by extension for the wider economy in the next Spending Review.

A copy of the letter can be viewed below on the CIHT website

Letter to Chancellor - Spending Review 2013

 
CIHT will be responding to the Comprehensive Spending Review in more detail after its release on the 26 June.

ENDS

Notes to editors

Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation

CIHT is a membership organisation representing over 12,000 people who work in the highways and transportation sector.

CIHT members plan, design, build, operate and maintain best-in-class transport systems and infrastructure, whilst respecting the imperatives of improving safety, ensuring economic competitiveness and minimising environmental impact.

CIHT supports its member’s professional endeavours by:
• offering training, information, professional development and support
• promoting the value added to society by the profession
• being the focused voice to Governments and other decision makers on transportation expertise and knowledge.

For more information please contact:

Daniel Isichei, Director of Communications
t: +44 (0) 20 7336 1567 m: 07912122573 e: Daniel.Isichei@ciht.org.uk

www.ciht.org.uk