RSSThe 1360 Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA), which represents companies producing and laying the materials for asphalt roads, has welcomed the UK Government’s pledge to spend US$9.174 billion (£6bn) on local road maintenance for the period 2015/16 to 2020/21.
Reacting to the spending commitment announced made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne , and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, AIA chairman Alan Mackenzie said, “The AIA has been lobbying for additional funds to tackle the long term shortfall in road maintenance funding and welcomes the announcements by the Chancellor and Chief Secretary to the Treasury that there will be £6 billion of funding for local road maintenance for the five-year period 2015/16 to 2020/21.
“The additional money will help local authorities make more efficient use of their budgets and perform more cost-effective, longer-term, planned maintenance, rather than the more expensive reactive maintenance that they have largely had to do in recent times.
“We are however disappointed that the additional money will not be available until 2015/16, but recognise that this money has to come from savings achieved elsewhere.”
Paul Fleetham, managing director of7406 Lafarge Tarmac Contracting, welcomed the Government’s commitment to financing improved infrastructure, but echoed Mackenzie’s concern over a lack of immediate works, “We welcome the fact that infrastructure appears to have moved up the political agenda. However, we are concerned about the lack of ‘shovel ready’ projects, which will deliver the much needed boost for the economy now. Statements on road maintenance deliver a glimmer of positivity, but without more money. Unfortunately the approach is ‘patch and mend’, rather than focusing on longer term, preventative maintenance which is better value for money for the taxpayer.”
Reacting to the spending commitment announced made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne , and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, AIA chairman Alan Mackenzie said, “The AIA has been lobbying for additional funds to tackle the long term shortfall in road maintenance funding and welcomes the announcements by the Chancellor and Chief Secretary to the Treasury that there will be £6 billion of funding for local road maintenance for the five-year period 2015/16 to 2020/21.
“The additional money will help local authorities make more efficient use of their budgets and perform more cost-effective, longer-term, planned maintenance, rather than the more expensive reactive maintenance that they have largely had to do in recent times.
“We are however disappointed that the additional money will not be available until 2015/16, but recognise that this money has to come from savings achieved elsewhere.”
Paul Fleetham, managing director of
