Deadline looming for public say on £28m to ease traffic

The Solent Local Transport Body (LTB) has £28.8m of Government cash to spend on major projects – and your views are needed on where to spend it.

The money handed over by the Department for Transport (DfT) must be spent on projects between 2015 and 2019, and the LTB must submit a list of priority projects by the end of July.

Among the schemes already put forward to potentially benefit from the funding are:

• Congestion relief works on the A27 in Fareham

• Southampton City Council’s City Streets scheme which would revamp and introduce public transport links to a number of city centre streets;

• Plans to build a cycle highway linking three university campuses in Southampton with the city centre, residential halls and the central railway station.

Now the public are being asked to have their say on these schemes and whether they should get a share of the Government funding.

Solent LTB chairman Russell Kew said: “I applaud the Government in devolving decision-making for major transport scheme expenditure to the local level and this board has an important role to perform to ensure that the right strategic projects are funded.

“Locally, we have seen considerable success over recent years in applying for funding for and – critically – successfully delivering transport projects.

“Underpinning these successes has been an ability to demonstrate economic benefits, and I see these as the priority for the LTB’s programme.

“Whether it be improving a junction or improving access to unlock new development, transport has a key role to play in supporting economic growth and local productivity. I’m also keen that we grow this fund through levering in contributions from the private sector and wider public sector, and that we think innovatively about pooling funding.”

The applications can be viewed by visiting hants.gov.uk.

Comments can be emailed to tfsh@hants.gov.uk by this Wednesday.

The LTB board will then agree a list of priority proposals on July 24.