No timescale or detail for Rishi Sunak’s transport money for Lincolnshire – promised after HS2 cuts

No timescale has been given for a Government promise of an ‘unprecedent uplift’ in funding to improve Lincolnshire’s transport.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a £36 billion plan to transform British transport as a result of the cancellation of the HS2 line between Birmingham and Manchester.

While there has been some hokey cokey with a number of projects promised in the Network North being taken in and out (as they have already been delivered), Lincolnshire only gets a mention twice in the 40 page document.

It states: “We will provide an unprecedented uplift in funding for 13 local authorities in the Midlands.

“For the first time, we will deliver long-term settlements for councils from Lincolnshire to Rutland, Herefordshire to Telford and Wrekin, and West Northamptonshire to Stoke-on-Trent.

“This £2.2 billion investment will transform transport by funding schemes such as refurbishment of stations in Longport and Kidsgrove, supporting demand-responsive transport in rural areas and funding investments into greener bus fleets.”

The other mention of Lincolnshire promises ‘a brand new £2.5 billion fund to transform local transport in 14 rural counties’ which covers ‘everywhere from Cheshire to Lincolnshire’.

We approached the Department of Transport for more information about the projects promised for Lincolnshire within this project – especially as the county council has seen its funding to maintain our roads being slashed in recent years.

A spokesman eventually came back to say: “Each project is different and we will work through delivery schedules and phasing of spend with our delivery partners.

“We will publish indicative allocations shortly.”

And when we asked for a time scale, the spokesman responded “Just in due course.”