The Department for Transport has written to all local authorities who received a share of £50 million of Department for Transport grants to fix traffic signals, reminding them to provide written declarations indicating the intention to use their grant allocations in accordance with the terms set out in award letters.
In April, all eligible English authorities received a share of £10 million ‘automatic’ funding from the Traffic Signal Obsolescence Grant (TSOG), and 67 authorities also received additional awards from two £20 million pots of TSOG challenge element or Green Light Fund (GLF). This money is being spent on a range of solutions including upgrading traffic signal systems, replacing unreliable and obsolete equipment to improve reliability, and tuning up signals to better reflect current traffic conditions and get traffic flowing.
One of the conditions of receiving the money was for authorities to provide an initial programme of the signal improvements they will deliver, which they did in May. Authorities are now being reminded of the end-of-October deadline for declarations from chief financial officers to confirm that: “To the best of our knowledge and belief, and having carried out appropriate investigations and checks, in our opinion, in all significant respects, the conditions attached to the Local Transport Capital Block Funding (Integrated Transport and Highway Maintenance Blocks) Specific Grant Determination (2023/24): No.31/6681 have been complied with”.
In an email to authorities, the DfT’s ITS Policy Lead, Darren Capes says: “We are asking that your Chief Executive and Chief Internal Auditor, (or similar officers as appropriate), having considered the programmes and plans their authorities have in place, are content that plans for delivery of TSOG and/or GLF funding meet the terms of the award. At the end of the grant period, in March 2026, we will ask for confirmation of your completed programme, but as the grants have been paid to you ‘up front’, it is important that we get confirmation that the plans you have in place for spending the grant are reasonable and appropriate.”
Mr Capes, who is also manager of the Transport Technology Forum, which is managing the process on behalf of DfT concludes by reminding recipients: “Could I ask that completed declarations are returned to me and remind you to continue to update the programmes you provided to www.ttf.uk.net as your works progress.”
(Picture – TTF)
