All new smart motorways have now been scrapped by the Government due to “financial pressures” and “a lack of public confidence”.
After a number of concerns have been raised by motorists, campaigners, and MPs around the safety of smart motorways over the past couple of years, which eventually led to the rollout being suspended by the Department for Transport (DfT) back at the start of 2022, it has today been announced that all new smart motorways schemes are to be removed from the Government‘s road-building plans.
This includes the 11 schemes already paused from the second Road Investment Strategy, which were due to be completed in 2025, and the three earmarked for construction in the third round of the Strategy set for completion in 2023.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Transport Secretary Mark Harper have cited a number of “financial” pressures and “the current lack of public confidence felt by drivers” as the reasoning behind why the new smart motorways have been scrapped.
🆕 Plans for new smart motorways have been cancelled, recognising the lack of public confidence felt by drivers
Existing smart motorways will benefit from £900m safety improvements
This is because, according to the Government, initial estimations have suggested that constructing future smart motorway schemes would have cost more than £1 billion.
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Cancelling these schemes will apparently allow “more time to track public confidence in smart motorways over a longer period”.
While no new stretches of road will be converted into smart motorways, it has been confirmed by the DfT today, however, that the M56 between J6-8 and M6 J21a-26 will still be completed, as construction is currently already over 75% complete.
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Government scraps all new smart motorways over ‘lack of public confidence’ / Credit: Flickr
The Government says it’s also investing £900 million and is continuing to work with National Highways on “further safety improvements” on existing smart motorways – which includes progressing plans on installing 150 extra emergency areas across the network “in line with the commitments made in response to the Transport Select Committee”.
It also includes improving stopped vehicle detection technology on every all lane running smart motorway across the UK.
“We want the public to know that this government is listening to their concerns,” said Transport Secretary Mark Harper.
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“Today’s announcement means no new smart motorways will be built, recognising the lack of public confidence felt by drivers and the cost pressures due to inflation.”
The Department for Transport (DfT) has also cited “financial pressures” / Credit: Flickr
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says he believes that all drivers “deserve to have confidence in the roads they use to get around the country.”
“Many people across the country rely on driving to get to work, to take their children to school, and go about their daily lives,” he explained.
“I want them to be able to do so with full confidence that the roads they drive on are safe.”
Featured Image – RAC
News
New £60m fund launched to fill potholes across Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
A new £60 million Pothole Fund has been created to repair more of the city region’s roads and pavements.
The fund – which has been set up by new Mayor Bev Craig, and is to be spent across every borough in Greater Manchester – is set to be a ‘major boost’ to efforts to tackle the pothole problem, as it will be enough to repair and maintain over a million square metres, or around 125 kilometres, of road across the wider region.
Around 2.5 billion trips are made on Greater Manchester‘s roads every year – not only by motorists, but also by buses, trams, cyclists, and pedestrians. So the fund will be used to help keep the highways network ‘safe and reliable’.
The fund will enable transport teams to repair hotspots where surfaces are in poor condition, as well as resurface roads and pavements to prevent them from deteriorating in the first place.
A new £60m fund has been launched to fill potholes across Greater Manchester / Credit: TfGM
Cold and wet winters, more traffic, and heavier vehicles using the roads are just some of the contributing factors to the pothole problem, which is why the fund is being introduced before autumn and winter properly arrives.
The amount each of the 10 boroughs will receive is based on an agreed funding formula, with the allocations being:
Bolton: £6,552,000
Bury: £4,374,000
Manchester: £8,155,000
Oldham: £5,258,000
Rochdale: £5,243,000
Salford: £5,388,000
Stockport: £6,820,000
Tameside: £4,980,000
Trafford: £4,992,000
Wigan: £8,241,000
The extra cash comes from the region’s transport budget, with leaders agreeing to reallocate funding towards highways maintenance, and it fulfils a commitment Bev made in her Mayoral Manifesto to repair more roads and make sure pavements are safe.
“Keeping our roads and pavements safe and well maintained is essential for a growing city region like Greater Manchester,” explained Mayor Bev Craig.
“That’s why I promised to create this new Pothole Fund that will benefit drivers and everyone who uses our roads to get around. Properly maintaining our roads will save motorists money on costly repairs, and by preventing potholes forming in the first place, councils won’t have to spend as much money on emergency road repairs.
“This issue came up repeatedly on the doorstep during my election campaign so I’m pleased that I can do something about it so quickly, building on the significant work already planned by councils across Greater Manchester.”
Featured Image – TfGM
News
Six GMP officers dismissed following racial discrimination allegations
Emily Sergeant
A number of police officers have been dismissed following an internal investigation, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has confirmed.
Following the internal investigation into alleged racial discrimination against an officer on the Bury district – which was launched by GMP‘s Professional Standards Directorate in July 2024 – six officers and two former officers were found to have committed gross misconduct, and a ninth officer was found to have committed misconduct.
The investigation came after a report was made that an officer had been subjected to ‘racist behaviour’ by colleagues in December 2023.
The panel heard how PC Y – who has African heritage and has been granted anonymity – made a complaint after her accent was mimicked by a group of officers. She was also compared to a suspect with similar skin colour, and one of the dismissed PCs made a derogatory comment about her hair.
PC Y was supported and kept updated throughout the investigation, GMP assured, as well as providing evidence at the hearing.
The misconduct hearing lasted just over two weeks, with the panel concluding that the officers breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour relating to Equality and Diversity, Authority, Respect, and Courtesy.
The six officers who have been dismissed are PC Demi Green, PC Heena Rani, PC Lucy Granby, PC Matthew Barlow, PC Matthew Hill, and PC Mohammed Abid, while the former officers who were found to have committed gross misconduct are PC Jake Holt, and former Officer A – who has been granted anonymity.
The panel also found that Sergeant Adrian Bick’s actions amounted to misconduct, as there was no breach of the standard of equality and diversity.
As a result, the six serving officers have been sacked without notice, while the two former officers would have been dismissed had they not already left the force, and Sergeant Bick was issued a written warning.
“No officer or member of staff should have to come to work and experience discriminatory behaviour from the people they serve alongside,” declared Deputy Chief Constable, Terry Woods.
“Everyone has the right to feel respected, valued and part of the same team with a shared commitment to serving our communities and keeping people safe.”
Emily Sergeant -
17th April 2023 
