Budget 2017: Local authorities encouraged to tackle city congestion in £690m competition
In the battle to tackle urban congestion, Philip Hammond will create a £690m competition for local authorities to address the issue and get local transport networks up and moving.
He also repeated the £220m announced in the Autumn Statement that will be invested to tackle pinch points on national road networks – this includes £90m to the north and £23m to the Midlands.
Transport secretary Chris Grayling will be providing further detail on these imminently.
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The chancellor announced the Midlands Engine strategy will be published tomorrow – the productivity plan to make the east and west Midlands a hub for growth in the UK economy.
The government wants to rev up the Midlands and add an extra £34bn to the region's economy by 2030, creating 300,000 extra jobs.
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Hammond also committed to supporting local projects in the 12 months including improvements to the A483 corridor in Cheshire and the Leicester Outer Ring Road.