Hull City Council leader, Councillor Mike Ross, is calling on the government to allocate funding from its recently announced £1 billion Structures Fund to support the city’s long-term infrastructure investment plan.
The government unveiled the fund on Monday 16 June as part of a national initiative to enhance, repair, and futureproof England’s transport infrastructure and road network.
In response, Councillor Ross has written to the Prime Minister, the Chancellor, and the Secretary of State for Transport, putting the case forward for why Hull should receive some of the funding. This would be used to help Hull’s five-year infrastructure investment plan, which is set to be reviewed by the council’s cabinet on Monday 23 June.
“The government’s announcement of a £1 billion Structures Fund comes at a very opportune moment for Hull,” said Councillor Ross.
“We have a ready to go plan for Hull’s bridges and road infrastructure, but in order to make it happen we need external grant funding from the government.”
The council’s infrastructure investment plan highlights critical issues affecting Hull’s bridges, structures, statues, monuments, and fountains. It also marks a strategic shift in the council’s approach by integrating capital spending, maintenance, and inspections to ensure the longevity and conservation of the city’s assets.
Cllr Ross added: “We very much hope that the government, through the Structures Fund, will provide us with what we need to address the city’s long-term infrastructure needs.
“It is absolutely essential that a significant proportion of this new fund finds its way to the areas and cities in the north of England that have for too long been overlooked and ignored.
“Hull is a city built on water, with the River Hull running right through its centre as well as a number of other waterways crossing the city. This means there are hundreds of bridges, some of them of a complex nature due to the need to maintain access on the river Hull. They connect our city, so any problems with them have a disproportionate impact on traffic in Hull.
“Crucially, none of these factors are taken into account in the standard funding formula allocation from the Department for Transport relating to maintaining bridge assets.
“This lack of national recognition of the additional costs the city faces has led to significant disruption within Hull over many years.
“Our new investment plan, coupled with the right level of funding, would fix our broken infrastructure, benefitting our residents, our businesses, the wider economy and preserving much of our city’s heritage.”
In his letter, Councillor Ross invited the Prime Minister, the Chancellor and the Secretary of State to the city to see for themselves what is required and to better understand Hull’s unique circumstances.
