DfT road schemes funding lists could prejudice approval process

The Department for Transport (DfT) is jumping the gun by announcing funding for road schemes before they have been granted planning approval, says anti-road building campaign group Road Block.

Road Block has written to Secretary of State for Transport Douglas Alexander to complain that a number of schemes named in the recently announced Regional Funding Allocation (RFA) lists have not yet been formally approved.

Non-approved schemes in the list include the South Bristol Ring Road, a scheme in Westbury, and the Heysham to M6 link in Lancaster.

The group claim that the inclusion of such schemes in the RFA lists may unfairly prejudice the decision-making process in their favour:

“Road Block believes putting non-approved, non-appraised schemes into regional funding lists undermines confidence in the Department’s commitment to public consultation, the NATA appraisal process, or the importance of consideration of environmental impacts.”