Credits still in the pot for councils

About £500m in PFI credits are believed to be available for local authorities interested in setting up their own highways maintenance PFIs, according to government insiders.
Despite the current uncertainties over Birmingham's deal, CJ understands that councils for South Tyneside, the Isle of Wight, Kent and West Sussex have already contacted central government about submitting bids for PFI credits to help tackle maintenance backlogs.
Lincolnshire County Council is the only other council (after Portsmouth and Birmingham) to have submitted a bid for PFI credits to set up its £110m highways scheme.
A decision is expected when government departments know their final financial settlements, following the recent Comprehensive Spending Review, in the next few weeks.