Transport Funding Constraints in Hampshire

Transport Funding Constraints in Hampshire

by Don Stewart, Chairman, Transport Campaign Group

With Government spending priorities of Health and Education dominating the current round, it should not be surprising to find that there has been a gradual retreat from the much heralded 10 year Transport Plan. The situation has not been helped by publication of the policy reviews, Eddington and Barker, which focus on competition-led funding allocations targeted at specific objectives. Regionally, the situation now in South Hampshire is much worse than it was in the last funding round and generally unfavourable for funding rural schemes across the South-East.

For Hampshire, this means that the Hampshire County Council's Local Transport Plan will be supported by reduced funding and many proposals unfortunately will be set aside. A facility to 'borrow' cash under conditions where the Government pay the interest charges has been withdrawn under yet another Treasury ruling. This further exacerbates the difficulty in raising funds for rural schemes.

The message is clear. HCC will only promise what is possible and action what has been committed.

The likelihood of capital funding to support major projects of building the Lyndhurst by-pass or Chickenhall Lane in support of economic expansion at Southampton Airport is remote under current funding constraints before 2010.

May 2007