Stinging criticism prompts DfT to phase in cuts

28 March 2007

The Department for Transport this week responded to anger over its January decision to cut expected capital funding for 2007/08 at the last minute by up to 25%.
The DfT is due to present a paper at the UK Roads Liaison Group on proposals to soften the blow, should there be future reductions in funding, which would mean phasing changes in more slowly.
This follows a storm of protest over the cutting of capital funding for dozens of councils compared with what was anticipated in the five-year ‘planning guidelines’.
Thirty-four authorities or conurbations received less, with most suffering cuts of 10% or more, and 11 receiving one-fifth less (Surveyor, 11 January).
Leicestershire environment director, Matthew Lugg, welcomed the proposal. ‘If we’re going to have swings, it would be best to limit their size. No business can suddenly lose one-quarter of its budget three months before it’s due to spend it.’
The proposals are part of the DfT’s consideration of how to refresh the formula for distributing funds, ahead of this December’s three-year allocation.
Engineers hope it will be more transparent, and avoid penalising high-performers by channelling funds to authorities with roads in the worst state.

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Stinging criticism prompts DfT to phase in cuts

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