County misses out on £47 million road-safety fund

Just two roads in the West Midlands – the A4030 in Smethwick and the A439 in Stratford-Upon-Avon are included in the latest round of government funding.

But no money has been made available for the A41 between the motorway junction at Cosford and Whitchurch, which has seen 200 accidents causing death or serious injuries since 2017.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said the investment would improve safety on 27 of England's most dangerous roads.

But the absence of any improvements on the A41 has come under attack from Helen Morgan, Liberal Democrat MP for Shropshire North.

“There are more holes in this policy than there are in the A41," said Mrs Morgan.

“We’ve had lots of serious crashes across the county but once again Shropshire has been ignored by a Government that takes rural areas for granted.

“If the Conservatives were serious about road safety they’d stop year on year cuts to the highway maintenance funding pot and invest in our roads."

The funding will be used for work such as redesigning junctions and improving signs and road markings.

Roads that will benefit include the A35 in Dorset; the A5105 in Lancashire; the A4158 in Oxfordshire; and the A1156 in Suffolk.

Allocations were based on data provided by the Road Safety Foundation on the number of people killed and injured on roads, and traffic levels.

This is the third round of the Safer Roads Fund, which the Department for Transport estimates will prevent around 1,450 fatal and serious injuries over the next 20 years.

Councillor Andrew Eade, leader of the Conservative opposition on Telford & Wrekin Council, has been calling for speed cameras to be installed at blackspots along the A41.

He is pressing police and crime commissioner John Campion to use part of a £400,000 road safety fund to be used to fund the safety measures.

Mr Harper said: "Britain's roads are some of the safest in the world, but we are always looking at ways to help keep drivers and all road users safe.

"We're injecting £47.5 million so that local councils around the country have the support they need to keep everyone safe, while reducing congestion and emissions and supporting local economies."

According to Road Safety Foundation analysis, it is estimated the latest round of funding will prevent 760 fatal and serious injuries over the next 20 years, bringing cost savings of £420 million.