Blog ARCHIVE
National Highways’ Toxic Run-Off
It has been widely reported that our rivers are polluted, with not a single river in England in good overall health. What isn’t so well known is that a major source of this pollution comes from our roads – oil spills, particulate matter, and microplastics from tyre and brake wear....
Draft RIS3 leaves many questions unanswered
A credible plan to improve journeys? Draft RIS3 leaves many questions unanswered Transport Action Network (TAN)1 has welcomed the publication of the draft third road investment strategy (2026 - 2031) (draft RIS3)2 with a budget of £25bn3. The draft outlines the government’s priorities for the Strategic Road Network (SRN). However,...
National Highways misusing taxpayers’ money, says TAN in complaint
National Highways misusing taxpayers’ money, says TAN in complaint to its regulator Transport Action Network (TAN)1 has written to the regulator of National Highways, the Office of Rail and Road, to ask it to investigate the government-owned company for misusing taxpayers’ money2. National Highways has a ringfenced pot called Designated...
Highway robbery – abusing Designated Funds
TAN has discovered that National Highways is syphoning off money from a dedicated fund for environmental and safety improvements (called ‘Designated Funds’1) to use it as sweeteners or greenwashing for new roadbuilding schemes. National Highways is also raiding the “ringfenced” funding to pay for mitigation that should come out of...
Government silly season spin exposes Lower Thames Crossing delusions
Government silly season spin exposes Lower Thames Crossing delusions Today the UK Government announced it is establishing yet another new regulator and board to track 50 or so major infrastructure projects to ‘speed up’ planning. The Lower Thames Crossing (LTC) ‘smart’ motorway will be the first project to have a...
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...
Labour splurges taxpayers’ cash on poor value road schemes
Labour splurges taxpayers’ cash on poor value road schemes Transport Action Network (TAN) [1] is dismayed at today’s announcement by the UK Government to fund a raft of poor value and expensive road schemes such as the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine, A46 Newark, M60 Simister Island, A38 Derby Junctions and 28...
Funding for £1.5bn A66 will undermine growth
Funding for £1.5bn A66 will undermine growth (and only save up to 12 minutes) Transport Action Network (TAN) [1] is dismayed that today the government has announced funding for the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine road scheme in Cumbria and North Yorkshire. The mega-road project was last costed at £1.5bn in 2022,...
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...
Big shift in policy still needed for climate
Big shift in policy still needed for climate Responding to the publication of the Climate Change Committee’s (CCC) 2025 Progress Report [1], Chris Todd, Director of Transport Action Network [2] said: “The CCC has tried to find a way to say there's been a "small improvement", to build rapport with...
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...
Infrastructure Strategy – delay and confusion on Lower Thames Crossing
Infrastructure Strategy - delay and confusion on Lower Thames Crossing In response to the ‘UK Infrastructure: A 10 Year Strategy’ published by HM Treasury on 19 June 2025 [1], Transport Action Network’s [2] Director, Chris Todd, said: "The Strategy published by Chief Secretary Darren Jones MP reflects the bizarre contrast...
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...
Calls for urgent action to tackle road safety emergency
Calls for urgent action to tackle road safety emergency Transport Action Network (TAN) [1] is today calling on Ministers Heidi Alexander MP and Lilian Greenwood MP to focus the Department for Transport’s (DfT) highways funding allocation in the spending review [2] on addressing England’s road safety emergency. Four people are...
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