Norfolk County Council has welcomed two major funding announcements from government, providing long-term certainty for highways maintenance and bus services for the first time in many years.

The multi-year settlements will allow the council to plan with confidence and deliver programmes of work that join up different funding streams to maximise impact for residents and businesses.

The council has received confirmation of its highway’s maintenance funding allocations through to 2029/30. Funding will rise from £56 million in 2025/26 to over £83 million by 2029/30 – a £27 million increase over the period.

Norfolk’s future bus grant allocations have also been confirmed, covering both revenue (for services) and capital (for schemes) funding through to 2029/30. Annual funding for bus services across Norfolk will now exceed £15 million.

Graham Plant, cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport, said:

“This is fantastic news for Norfolk. Securing multi-year funding for both highways maintenance and bus services gives us the certainty we need to plan ahead, and deliver improvements that will make a real difference for residents and businesses.

 “For highways alone, funding will rise from £56 million next year to over £83 million by 2029/30 – a £27 million increase that allows us to invest strategically in maintaining and improving our road network. On top of that, the secured bus funding means we can continue with the improvements to bus services and infrastructure across Norfolk which have already seen bus passenger numbers rise year on year since 2022 thanks to our bus service improvement plan.

“These settlements allow us to join up funding streams, deliver safer and more reliable transport, and ensure Norfolk is fit for the future.”

(Picture: Norfolk County Council)