With £5 billion worth of investment already committed to improving the midlands transport infrastructure by Parliament over and above the planned £55 billion to be spent on HS2, the government has today set out further investment plans for delivering its ambition for the Midlands to become an engine for growth.
As HS2 has the potential to transform the Midlands economy, central government has committed to continue to build on this momentum by working with local partners to consider what more can be done to support the region in terms of transport to boost productivity, increase economic growth and deliver desperately needed housing through a raft of new transportation initiatives:
- £25m for transport infrastructure in Coventry and Warwickshire;
- £12m to upgrade connectivity around Loughborough (inc J23 M1 and sustainable travel initiatives);
- £25 million to tackle congestion in the Black County and improve sustainable travel;
- £7.5m to improve the A38 at Bromsgrove;
- £10m to refurbish Broadmarsh bus station in Nottingham;
- £10m to improve University Station (Birmingham University in Edgbaston);
- £8.5m to improved link road Hanley-Bentilee link road, Stoke on Trent;
- £12m to develop new Garden City in Black Country;
- £5m to Pershore Northern Link Road in Worcestershire;
- £11m towards Derby City Regeneration;
- £5m towards Redditch Town Centre;
- £8m to regenerate Nottinghamshire town centres;
- £0.5m for walking and cycling initiatives around Sherwood Forest; and
- Implementation of Smart Ticketing (Swift?) cross the entire midlands region.
The Government intends to further publish a Midlands Engine Investment Portfolio at MIPIM next week in Cannes.