Over £76 million has been committed to improving Hampshire’s transport infrastructure this financial year
The figures were agreed by Councillor Rob Humby, Hampshire County Council’s Executive Member for Environment and Transport, at his recent Decision Day for a capital programme which will deliver a range of schemes to benefit the county, covering highways and bridge maintenance, improvements to transport and road safety, and flood alleviation measures.
Councillor Humby explained: “An investment of £76 million in this current financial year demonstrates a huge commitment from the County Council to improve Hampshire’s transport and infrastructure. The majority is funding the County Council has secured primarily through competitive bidding against projects both locally and in other parts of the country. Successful partnership working with Government agencies and other authorities has also delivered funding to add to the County Council’s own investment.
“A great deal of preparation work and expertise goes into making sure Hampshire’s competitive bids stand the best chance of success. We carry out early consultations with the public and engage with stakeholders to ensure the scheme designs meet the needs of communities and support the local economy. In this way, money is targeted on improvements that will make a difference to the quality of life of Hampshire’s residents while ensuring the county is well set up to prosper in the future.
“On average, for every £1 we spend on preparing bids, we get £10 back in capital funding for infrastructure. In these times of squeezed local budgets with councils facing unfunded pressures, it really is good news that we are able to lever in national money set aside for infrastructure investment to make such significant improvements in Hampshire.”
