The leader of Hull City Council has called on the Government to invest in maintaining Hull’s bridges.
The Government has this week announced the new £1 billion Structures Fund fund to repair and future proof transport infrastructure across England. It claims the fund will make “everyday journeys safer, smoother, and more dependable” by investing in run down pieces of infrastructure including bridges, flyover, and tunnels. The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, described the funding as “a turning point for our national infrastructure”.
Following the announcement, the leader of Hull City Council, Cllr Mike Ross, wrote to the Prime Minister, the Chancellor, and the Transport Secretary, putting the case forward for why Hull should receive part of the funding.
Cllr Ross has said the “£1 billion Structures Fund comes at a very opportune moment for Hull,” with the council’s cabinet set to next week consider proposals for a five-year investment programme which seeks the maintenance of infrastructure in the city including bridges, statues, and fountains.
Cllr Ross added: “We have a ready to go plan for Hull’s bridges and road infrastructure, but in order to make it happen we need external grant funding from the Government.
“We very much hope that the Government, through the Structures Fund, will provide us with what we need to address the city’s long-term infrastructure needs.
(Image: Neil Holmes)
“It is absolutely essential that a significant proportion of this new fund finds its way to the areas and cities in the north of England that have for too long been overlooked and ignored.
Cllr Ross has also explained the difficulties Hull has with infrastructure due to its placement alongside both the Humber and the River Hull. He said: “Hull is a city built on water, with the River Hull running right through its centre as well as a number of other waterways crossing the city. This means there are hundreds of bridges, some of them of a complex nature due to the need to maintain access on the river Hull. They connect our city, so any problems with them have a disproportionate impact on traffic in Hull.
“Crucially, none of these factors are taken into account in the standard funding formula allocation from the Department for Transport relating to maintaining bridge assets.
“This lack of national recognition of the additional costs the city faces has led to significant disruption within Hull over many years.
“Our new investment plan, coupled with the right level of funding, would fix our broken infrastructure, benefitting our residents, our businesses, the wider economy and preserving much of our city’s heritage.”
Hull’s Drypool Bridge is among the structures in need of repair in the city. An inspection last year revealed parts of the bridge have “quickly deteriorated” with up to six months of work needed for urgent repair works.
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