The government has dropped plans to toll the A14 after it has been widened between Cambridge and Huntingdon, it was announced today.

Chief Secretary Danny Alexander announced that the £1.5Bn scheme would be fully funded by the public sector as part of a revised National Infrastructure Plan (NIP).

New funding sources have been found with insurance company investors pledging £25Bn to back the NIP and housing over the next five years. The overall NIP remained at around £375Bn, and today’s news is unlikely to do much to silence critics who complain that progress on even the government’s 40 ‘priority’ projects is too slow.

Other transport related measures include funding for improvements to the A50 near Uttoxeter that will get under way no later than 2015-2016, it was promised. There is a new £50 million railway station for Gatwick Airport and it was confirmed that the Treasury will provide a £1Bn guarantee for the London Underground Northern Line extension to Battersea.

The government has been criticised by construction industry and business groups like the Confederation of British Industry for the slow progress of delivery of its 40 ‘priority’ infrastructure scheme. Government will argue today that out of 646 projects in the National Infrastructure Plan 291 are under construction and those already built include 35 transport projects, flood defence and coastal erosion schemes and railway station upgrades.

Sales of government assets, including a 40% stake in Eurostar, are to be doubled to £20Bn between 2014 and 2020 to help to pay for the investments.

Other measures include a £10 million guarantee for energy efficient lighting in car parks.

The Government also announced today a consultation into a draft National Policy Statement for National Transport networks.

The Minister for Roads, Robert Goodwill, said: “The public consultation being launched today invites views on the extent to which this National Policy Statement meets its aim of providing planning policy for decisions on the development of national networks”.

Sue Percy, CIHT Chief Executive said: “CIHT has called for a national policy statement on transport on a number of occasions over the last few years. Whilst we welcome the announcement of the consultation today and appreciate that it attempts to bring some strategic focus to address the Planning Act 2008, we do not believe that this statement goes far enough.

“We will be responding to the consultation in detail and we would have like to have seen more emphasis on: Giving certainty to the entire transport sector, including skills, resources and investment needed for effective delivery; resulting in benefits to health, environmental, social as well as economic agendas. Recognition of the local roads as a fundamental part of our transport network. How transport is better integrated to give customers an improved service?”

(Photo: HM Treasury)

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