Stuart
3/11/2024 9:46:59 AM
3 mins read
THE awarding of £119m of funds to bring transformational change to transport across North East Lincolnshire will be formally welcomed by the council’s Cabinet next week.
In acknowledging the grant funding, Cabinet members will also be asked to approve the start of a planning journey, which will see a mapping out of how these significant monies will be invested.
As reported, the Government has handed large sums to local authorities across the north of the country, which had previously been allocated to the now halted northern leg of HS2.
Whilst monies allocated will be spent on local borough projects, the report being discussed at next Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting does confirm a dialogue with neighbours at North Lincolnshire Council and Lincolnshire County Council. North Lincolnshire has received just over £118m from the same pot of former HS2 monies, with Lincolnshire County Council awarded more than £262m.
This will see an initial two-year co-ordinated plan drawn up, which also reflects the proposed Greater Lincolnshire Devolution agenda. As reported, one of the priority areas if the proposed Devolution deal is approved next week is transport - with a co-ordinated Greater Lincolnshire approach to investment and improvement.
This course of action will, adds the report, reflect the Government’s ambition to ‘drive better connectivity with 'towns, suburbs and cities’ and improve ‘everyday local journeys for people’.
The monies are to be allocated through the already established Local Transport Fund, (LTF), from April 2025 with the bulk of the annual funding coming to North East Lincolnshire from 2027. It will then be provided yearly until 2032, with a £20m limit on individual projects.
Ahead of next week’s meeting, North East Lincolnshire Council Portfolio Holder for Environment and Transport, Cllr Stewart Swinburn (pictured) said: “This amount of grant funding is unprecedented and presents the opportunity to offer truly transformational improvements. I look forward to presenting this to my fellow Cabinet members and working with partners and colleagues in the weeks and months ahead on both a local and regional level.”
Next week’s Cabinet meeting also sees the council’s new Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy document presented.
Created by the authority and its delivery partner, Equans, it outlines ways to increase and deliver charge points across the borough from now until 2030.
The strategy looks to support local residents and businesses switching to electric vehicles (EV) by delivering a network of publicly available charge points across North East Lincolnshire. By 2030 it is anticipated that more than 250 will be needed to meet public demand in the borough.
The strategy comes on the heels of the recently successful On-street Residential Charge Point Scheme (ORCS) bid, which aims to have more than 50 kerbside charge points installed by the end of 2024.
The new strategy will support the Government’s electric vehicle infrastructure strategy, whereby the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles will end by 2035.
Following the outcome of the Cabinet meeting, and any changes suggested, the strategy will be published online and shared with the public once approved.
