Blog ARCHIVE
National Highways not being held to account
There was a flurry of publications just before Parliament broke up in July, three of which directly related to National Highways. These reports are quite revealing about what National Highways has and has not achieved. They also show what aspects of National Highways’ performance are not scrutinised, and raise questions...
National Highways failing nature
When National Highways plans and delivers road schemes, it is meant to avoid harming nature and then minimise any impact, which it is then supposed to compensate for. This is called “mitigation” and is a legal requirement. In addition, new rules about Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) require developers to create...
Overspending on major projects – deliberate or incompetence?
National Highways has been criticised by watchdogs for frequent increases in the cost of its major road schemes, which can occur both before and after construction starts. Schemes can end up costing taxpayers millions – sometimes billions – more than when they were approved, calling into question the reliability of...
The Lower Thames Crossing ‘smart’ motorway is the enemy of growth
A poor investment and waste of precious public funds The Lower Thames Crossing (LTC) ‘smart’ motorway – located in the far South East and more expensive per mile even than HS21 - poses a direct threat to the economic and social welfare of the people of all nations and regions...
Dartford toll hikes: just the beginning
This week saw the government slap a 40% hike in toll charges for the Dartford crossings, raising the basic cost for a car from £2.50 to £3.50. It suggests that perhaps we’re not so far off the mark when we said tolls would have to triple if the Lower Thames...
Road safety record is a car crash
National Highways routinely claims that safety is its “top priority” but this spin is not borne out by its spending decisions or its poor record of reducing serious casualties on its network. Since coming into existence (as Highways England) in 2015, the company has spent a fraction of its huge...
The Great Train Robbery?
People are crying out for better transport choices across the country, whether it be better buses, reliable railways, or safer streets. They are also fed up with litter and potholes becoming an all too familiar sight. They want our roads and pavements kept in good order, as the polls keep...
True cost of traffic delays from building major roads
There is concern that National Highways is routinely underestimating the impact and cost of delays caused by the construction of new road schemes. It does this to skew the business case and secure approval. When planning “enhancement” works on its network, National Highways is obliged, as with any other major...
Net zero undermined by DfT
As over 40% of all UK’s emissions down to transport Transport remains a huge problem when it comes to sector emissions in the UK, despite its full impact being underestimated. Since 1990, carbon emissions for domestic transport have only fallen by 13%, showing how woeful the Department for Transport’s (DfT)...
A bumpy road ahead?
In a volatile world where things are changing fast and the economic outcome is uncertain, now is the time to invest in resilience and looking after what we’ve got. And when we say resilience, we don’t mean an excuse to add another lane or build another road to cope with...
Welsh Roads Review: Two years on
Two years ago on Valentine’s Day, Lee Waters, the Deputy Minister for Climate Change at the time, published the Welsh Roads Review and the Welsh Government’s response. It received widespread international attention and praise for adopting a forwarded thinking approach. There were, of course, some critics, but despite their claims,...
A year of two halves…
The start of 2024 was surrounded in a cloud of uncertainty, but also anticipation of a General Election. Would the Conservatives go early in May or hang on for as long as possible? In the end Rishi Sunak surprised everyone, including many in his own party, by holding the election...
Five tests for integrated transport
The announcement of the vision for an Integrated National Transport Strategy on 28 November 2024 marks the first time in decades that England has sought to join up different ways of getting about. This is a welcome move as the last government failed badly in this area1. However, just publishing...
Lower Thames Crossing decision
Delaying gives Louise Haigh the chance to think long term The Dartford Crossing is one of the most unreliable sections of our road network. Something needs to be done, but the solution is not the Lower Thames Crossing. By delaying the planning decision, we hope Louise Haigh will realise the...
Large road schemes in the Transport Infrastructure Review
On 30 July 2024, the Transport Secretary Louise Haigh announced a Transport Infrastructure Review. This will include all road schemes in National Highways' roads programme, many of which are unaffordable and outdated, trying to solve 20th century problems. The funding would be better used for vital rail freight, public transport...
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