Road Investment Strategy 2015–2020
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| Road Investment Strategy 2015–2020 | |
|---|---|
| Name | Road Investment Strategy 2015–2020 |
| Jurisdiction | United Kingdom |
| Period | 2015–2020 |
| Responsible | Department for Transport |
| Launched | 2014 |
| Budget | £15 billion (initial) |
Road Investment Strategy 2015–2020 The Road Investment Strategy 2015–2020 set out a five‑year plan for England’s strategic road network overseen by the Department for Transport, implemented by Highways England and funded through Her Majesty's Treasury allocations and private finance arrangements. The strategy aligned with national programmes including priorities from 2015 United Kingdom general election policy, reflected commitments made by the Conservative Party (UK) administration under David Cameron, and informed subsequent infrastructure frameworks led by Chancellor of the Exchequer offices.
Background and objectives
The strategy emerged from debates involving Transport Select Committee, National Infrastructure Commission, Institute for Fiscal Studies, Campaign for Better Transport and industry stakeholders such as the Road Haulage Association and Confederation of British Industry, aiming to modernise the Strategic Road Network and reduce congestion on corridors like the M25 motorway, A1 road, M6 motorway and A14 road. Objectives included enhancing capacity to support trade routes linking ports such as Port of Felixstowe, Port of Liverpool and Port of Southampton, improving resilience against climate events discussed by the Committee on Climate Change, and meeting safety goals promoted by RoSPA and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. The plan referenced delivery models used in projects overseen by authorities including Transport for London, Network Rail and comparisons to European examples such as Autobahn management in Germany and motorway concessions in France.
Funding and investment programmes
Funding combined direct capital from Her Majesty's Treasury, allocations from the Department for Transport, and private finance initiatives influenced by precedents like the Private Finance Initiative and Public–private partnership. Financial oversight involved entities including the National Audit Office, Office for Budget Responsibility and corporate financiers such as Barclays, HSBC, Aviva Investors and Legal & General. The strategy outlined the Road Investment Strategy’s capital envelope with reference to fiscal frameworks adopted post‑2010 United Kingdom general election, debt considerations debated by the Institute for Government and accounting standards monitored by International Monetary Fund observers in assessments of UK infrastructure investment.
Major schemes and projects
Major schemes included upgrade programmes on the M62 motorway, widening of the M1 motorway smart motorway conversions influenced by technology vendors like Siemens and Atkins, junction improvements on the A14 road near Cambridge and the A1 upgrades between Blyth and Newcastle upon Tyne, alongside improvements to approaches to the Humber Bridge and freight access to Grimsby Docks. Delivery drew on contractors such as Balfour Beatty, Carillion (prior to its collapse), Costain Group, Interserve and Skanska, with design inputs from consultancies including AECOM, Arup and WSP Global. Schemes were coordinated with regional authorities like Greater Manchester Combined Authority, West Midlands Combined Authority and local councils including Cambridgeshire County Council and Northumberland County Council.
Delivery and governance
Governance rested with Highways England under license agreements with the Secretary of State for Transport and scrutiny from parliamentary bodies including the Public Accounts Committee. Delivery frameworks incorporated project management standards used by Infrastructure UK and contractual forms influenced by the New Engineering Contract and procurement law under scrutiny by the European Commission prior to Brexit. Risk management referenced guidance from HM Treasury Green Book appraisal, with performance monitoring by the National Highways and Transport Public Satisfaction Survey and data collection standards aligned to those used by Office for National Statistics.
Performance, outcomes and evaluation
Evaluations by the National Audit Office, Transport Select Committee and independent bodies such as the Institute of Civil Engineers reported mixed outcomes: some congestion reductions on corridors near Birmingham and Manchester and journey time reliability improvements on sections of the M25 motorway and A14 road, alongside safety metric changes tracked by Department for Transport statistics and Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents analyses. Economic assessments referenced by Centre for Cities, Local Government Association and Confederation of British Industry highlighted benefits to freight efficiency serving hubs like East Midlands Airport and Heathrow Airport, but also cited variable value‑for‑money in certain schemes according to National Audit Office costing reviews and Institute for Fiscal Studies impact studies.
Criticisms and controversies
Controversies involved debates over the efficacy of Smart motorway conversions promoted by the strategy, with criticism from Road Safety Foundation, campaign groups including RoadPeace and investigations by the BBC into safety outcomes. Procurement disputes and contractor collapses, notably the insolvency of Carillion and issues with Interserve and Balfour Beatty performance on some contracts, raised questions from the Public Accounts Committee and National Audit Office about risk allocation and contingency funding. Environmental concerns were voiced by Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and RSPB regarding carbon emissions and habitat impacts affecting sites protected under Site of Special Scientific Interest designations, intersecting with legal challenges referencing Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and judicial review cases in the High Court of Justice.