An extra pot of government money could help Spalding’s infamous ‘road to nowhere’ go somewhere.
The Department for Transport has announced a new £165m fund to ‘unlock’ housing sites stalled by lack of infrastructure.
The money will target “stalled developments across England where funding gaps have made progress difficult, with a deliberate focus on areas that have historically struggled to access the funding needed,” says a statement.
The scheme will help the government deliver the 1.5m new homes it’s promised.
Spalding’s Western Relief Road stalled after one section was completed – leaving a road going nowhere and a new bridge carrying no traffic.
A spokesman for the county council, which is behind the relief road scheme, said the authority would be reviewing the details of this new scheme.
“It’s not yet clear whether elements of SWRR would align with the funds criteria,” he said.
He added that an assessment of the opportunity would continue as guidance is released.
“Too many housing and employment opportunities have stalled for years, held back by the infrastructure that wasn’t there to support them,” said Heidi Alexander, Secretary of State.
The new money will be aimed at projects near major routes, A roads and motorways.
The county council is hoping developers will contribute to the cost of completing the road – which will open up land for housing on the edge of the town. The authority has £27.7m for the project.
Spalding is set to receive applications for 4,000 homes which would which would help fund the relief road by the developer – and see it used.
The three middle sections of the road will cost around £30m each, and are based on recovering the costs from a developer.
Earlier this year, the county’s head of highways, Sam Edwards, said the balance between delivering housing and the road was ‘chicken and egg’ and the road had to come with developers’ cash.
Deputy leader of Lincolnshire County Council, Rob Gibson, of Spalding, said there also needs to be infrastructure, but that comes after the road.
“The relief road has got to be the priority. We have got to get this finished,” he said earlier this year.
