Lancashire County Council’s cabinet has agreed a major programme of investment in transport infrastructure.

The money will go towards improving roads, streetlights, bridges, flood prevention measures, cycling and walking improvements as part of a package worth £45.8m over the next year.

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The process for allocating this year’s highways budget has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Department for Transport usually gives an indication of the funding which councils can expect to receive for a 3-year period allowing them to plan ahead, however due to disruption caused by the pandemic a one-year funding allocation for 2021/22 was only confirmed in February.

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Here are the schemes for Preston and South Ribble:

• Woodplumpton Road (B5411) in Preston. Scheme description: House 31 before the church to lighting column 13. Treatment: Resurfacing as part of a multi-treatment scheme. Estimate: £35,558.
• Station Road Phase 2 (C244) in South Ribble. Scheme description: Royalty Lane to Chapel Lane. Treatment: Resurfacing. Estimate: £36,318.
• Church Road (A6) in South Ribble. Scheme description: Roundabout junction with Lostock Lane. Treatment: Resurfacing. Estimate: £68,164.
• Woods Lane (C355) in Preston and Wyre. Scheme description: Preston Road to Stavens Pool Bridge. Treatment: Resurfacing. Estimate: £164,598.
• Woodplumpton Road (B5411) in Preston. Scheme description: House number 31 to Tabley Lane. Treatment: Surface dressing as part of a multi-treatment scheme. Estimate: £11,846.
• Cuerdale Lane (B6230) in South Ribble. Scheme description: Victoria Road roundabout to Vicarage Lane. Treatment: Surface dressing. Estimate: £171,838.
• Hoghton Lane (A675) in South Ribble. Scheme description: Kittlingborne Brow roundabout to Daub Hall Lane. Treatment: Surface dressing. Estimate: £97,525.
• Brownedge Road (B5257) in South Ribble. Scheme description: Leyland Lane Tardy Gate to Todd Lane North. Treatment: Surface dressing. Estimate: £44,074.
• Sharoe Green Lane (U12571) in Preston. Scheme description: Watling Street Road to Green Drive. Treatment: Surface dressing. Estimate: £133,096.
• Kings Drive (U10634) in Preston. Scheme description: From Black Bull Lane to the A6. Treatment: Surface dressing. Estimate: £26,800.

County Councillor Keith Iddon, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “Lancashire’s transport infrastructure is our single most valuable asset, and keeping it in good condition is vital to our everyday life, ensuring that people and goods can travel efficiently.

“We know that roads are a big priority for residents and businesses, and while the cold winter has had an impact on our roads, this investment programme will ensure that timely repairs will take place and many new surfaces will be laid over the warmer months to come.

“I’m very pleased that we’re in a position to invest so much in the next year thanks to some extra funding received from government, and good management of the county council’s finances over recent years.

“By following the principle that prevention is better than cure, which is at the heart of our Transport Asset Management Plan, and maintaining investment levels over many years, the condition of our infrastructure is gradually improving, which will help to reduce the level of defects such as potholes in the future.

“Being able to demonstrate good management of our assets also means we have received an extra £3.2m from the Department for Transport’s incentive fund for the coming year.

“We added an extra £17m to the budget in February, which will help to keep this plan on track as well as helping to make our roads more resilient to extreme weather.

“This, along with the government funding we still need to allocate, will also help to tackle priorities which emerge over the coming months, and we’ll now be working to assess where it’s most needed.”

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County Councillor Iddon said: “In many ways the lockdowns over the past year have shown the potential for our walking and cycling networks with many more people using them to get out and about in their local area.

“It’s important that we invest in walking and cycling to make these options more attractive for everyday travel, and we will continue to improve our existing roads and paths as well as taking opportunities to add to and extend them.”

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