More than £2.2bn in unspent developer contributions could be directed towards local road repairs, according to a report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Better Roads.
The group is calling for the Government to make it easier and more transparent for local authorities in England and Wales to use Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) receipts on resurfacing and preventative maintenance.
Its report comes as the backlog of carriageway repairs is estimated at £18.62bn. The APPG says unspent contributions, together with future CIL income, could provide councils with an additional source of funding for the local road network.
Call for clearer CIL guidance
CIL is collected by local planning authorities to help fund infrastructure associated with new development. It is levied by more than half of planning authorities in England, including every authority in London, and by a small number of authorities in Wales.
Although the levy is primarily linked to infrastructure needs arising from development, current rules also allow it to support improvements to existing infrastructure, including roads. The APPG says councils need clearer legislation and Government guidance to give them confidence that CIL can be used for appropriate maintenance schemes.
Research by the Home Builders Federation, cited in the report, found that more than £2.2bn in developer CIL contributions remains unspent by planning authorities in England and Wales.
The group argues that using some of this money for earlier interventions, such as resurfacing, could help prevent road defects from worsening and reduce the need for more extensive repairs later.
Focus on preventative maintenance
Rebecca Paul, MP for Reigate and chair of the APPG for Better Roads, said in the report’s foreword that the way local roads are funded had encouraged short-term repairs rather than sustained maintenance.
“Crumbling, pothole-ridden roads are damaging vehicles, endangering lives and undermining our economic productivity and growth.”
The report calls for preventative and structural maintenance to receive greater priority alongside immediate pothole repairs. It also recommends that the Government clarify how levy receipts can be applied to existing roads, allowing councils to use both accumulated funds and future contributions where appropriate.
The APPG said a clearer framework could convert a significant pool of existing developer contributions into improvements for road users, while helping local highway authorities manage the wider repair backlog.