QPA slams Government road investment shortfalls

THE Quarry Products Association has attacked the Government over declining investment in the UK road network, calling the situation a completely unsustainable long-term approach to the country’s transport infrastructure.

The Association has this week released data highlighting the extent to which the Government has reduced investment in the maintenance and improvement of the road network. It says asphalt sales fell by another 5% in the first quarter of 2007, which was preceded by an 8% decline in sales volumes in 2006.

The QPA’s director general, Simon van der Byl, said: ‘The continuing decline in asphalt sales is hard evidence of declining investment in our road networks. Since 2000 there has been the 10-year transport plan and numerous official statements about the need to invest in road and transport networks, but in reality there had been a complete failure in policy delivery.’

Mr van der Byl said the national roads programme was progressing at a ‘snail’s pace’, and that local authorities were being denied the resources to properly maintain local roads. He added that the recent Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey had identified a £1 billion shortfall in funds for local highway maintenance work in England and Wales.

‘The general lack of investment suggests that road spending may be being held back deliberately in anticipation of the outcome of the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review. This is a completely unsustainable long-term approach to our transport infrastructure,’ argued Mr van der Byl.

On a more positive note, the QPA data also revealed that crushed rock and ready mixed-concrete sales volumes both increased by 2% in the first quarter of 2007, reflecting continuing growth in non-transport construction activity. However, sand and gravel volumes remained flat, showing no change over the quarter.