County Durham Transport Funding Slashed From £73m to £23m

Durham Council will get less money than expected. They were promised £72.8 million by the prior government. Now, they will only receive £23 million in total.

Council leaders waited for news after the July election. They repeatedly asked for clarity without success. The council just revealed this funding decrease.

Paul Darby spoke at a council meeting about the issue. He said they expected £72.8 million for local transport. The Autumn Statement did not mention this. In late January, plans changed, and they’ll get £23 million for sustainable transport.

The prior plan allocated funds from scrapping part of HS2. Durham needed this cash for transport upgrades, planned between 2025 and 2027. Amanda Hopgood warned that lacking funds hurts the economy.

Projects like NETPark’s transport upgrades were ready. Mr. Darby said they proposed many investment plans that the old funding would have paid for. Final decisions on projects are pending now because the money is for Durham.

Other areas received CRSTS funds. Durham joined the North East deal late, meaning it missed out on earlier negotiations. Newcastle and other areas got £147 million. Durham’s £72.8 million sought to make up for this initial exclusion, so it could then enter phase two of CRSTS after 2027.

Kim McGuinness says this funding will help Durham, bringing the area closer to other North East spots. She is glad the government supports their ambitions, and they can work on a great transport network.

The Department for Transport was contacted for comments.