London Mayor Boris Johnson has given boroughs more control of local transport spending, while cutting the total amount of funding available.

Johnson announced details of new funding streams designed to cut red tape, but has slashed the total amount available for local implementation plans (LIPs) by more than £14M to £155M.

London Councils and a number of boroughs, including Brent and Hillingdon, have expressed their disappointment at the cuts. Colin Hall, executive member for environment at London Borough of Sutton, has called on Transport for London (TfL) to look again at the figures.

‘We have long campaigned to have greater control of how money is spent on transport improvements locally. But it is a bitter pill to swallow when this concession comes with over a third of our funding slashed,’ he said.

‘In the coming year TfL will be spending almost £6bn on transport in the capital. Individual boroughs are only getting £155M.’

Mike Fisher, chairman of London Councils’ transport and environment committee, said: ‘The allocated funding for improved cycle initiatives does go some way to compensating for the lack of money overall, but we are disappointed at the total settlement for boroughs.’

Following a year of ‘joint-working’, TfL and the boroughs have agreed a simplification of the capital’s funding system and an introduction of formula-based funding. This will see the original 20 funding streams simplified to five and enable boroughs to bid for multi-year funding. The new categories are: maintenance; major schemes; corridor; smarter travel; and neighbourhood. A consultation agreed the formula-based funding should apply to the latter three categories, while bidding will remain for the other two.

The needs-based formula will take into account varying transport conditions including bus punctuality, road safety, air quality and population.

‘This means more choice over a range of key local schemes to improve town centres and cycling facilities, cut road deaths, tackle the school run and improve the urban realm,’ Johnson said.

The mayor has also announced a ‘record’ £111.3M investment in cycling this year, but Green Party Assembly Member Jenny Jones warned that Johnson is still not concentrating on outer boroughs as he pledged in his manifesto.

She welcomed the cycle hire scheme but said the mayor was paying for these ‘high profile schemes by cutting hundreds of local schemes which would make cycling safer in London’.

She added: ‘We have a "zone one" cycling mayor who is giving far less money to the London Cycle Network in outer London, despite advice from experts who tell him that four-fifths of the potential new cyclists come from the suburbs.’