Lancashire transport budget set
Bus service improvements, new cycle paths and more accessible railway stations are promised
Bus service improvements, new cycle paths and more accessible railway stations are amongst a list of 20 priorities that have been set out for how to spend £643m of transport funding in Lancashire.
The cash pot is the amount the county will be given by the government over the next four years – and the Lancashire Combined County Authority (LCCA) devolution body has now decided the various ways in which it will be used.
The organisation approved its Local Transport Delivery Plan (LTDP) at a recent meeting. It details the county’s ambitions for the transport network between 2026/27 and 2029/30.
Money is largely allocated to overarching project areas rather than specific schemes – with the exception being the £28.2m earmarked for the new Cottam Parkway station in suburban Preston.
Highways maintenance funding accounts for the largest share of Lancashire’s transport finance allocation from the government – a total of £268m in capital spending across the four-year period. That cash is now funnelled through the LCCA, although the individual highway authorities of Lancashire County Council and Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen councils remain responsible for the roads in their respective areas.
The remainder of the capital cash is split between an Integrated Transport Fund and a Bus Services Fund. Mayor-led areas like Lancashire’s neighbours in Greater Manchester and Liverpool City Region are handed a single grant for maximum flexibility in how the funding is spent.
However, within the rules as they apply to Lancashire, the LCCA has ringfenced the non-highways portion of its combined capital and revenue transport budget to projects including bus infrastructure improvements, such as new stops and ticketing (£64.8m), bus service subsidies for commercially unviable routes (£43.6m) and so-called ‘active travel’ facilities to help encourage cycling and walking as modes of transport (£49m). A top-up fund to support the the development of new roads and bridges has been allocated £95.7m.
LCCA transport advisory board chair – and Blackburn with Darwen Council leader Phil Riley – told the meeting at which the LDTP was agreed that the programme would “make a difference”.
He added: “This is the kind of thing that this organisation needs to be doing, because we need to show to the people of Lancashire that we are alive and kicking.”
The LCCA was formally established in February 2025 to implement Lancashire’s devolution deal with the government.
The introduction of so-called “consolidated” transport settlements covering multiple years – rather than providing an annual sum – coincided with the LCCA taking over from the county council and Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen councils as the sole transport authority for the area. A new logo to advertise its functions in that respect is currently being drawn up for use at transport facilities across the county.
The authority is also developing a local transport implementation plan which will lay out the named individual schemes through which the broad-brush aims of the LTDP will be fulfilled.
A public consultation on a draft of that document was undertaken over the summer and attracted 1,800 responses. Within those, 70 previously unassessed projects had been proposed and are now being considered for inclusion in the finalised document which is due in November.
Cllr Riley said the consultation process had generated “a flurry of new ideas” from Lancashire’s 12 district councils.
He told the LCCA meeting that some of the suggestions were for “enormous” schemes, which meant the authority could now “happily spend the whole budget umpteen times over”.
“In some respects, it’s a good thing that people know that the opportunity exists, but one of our challenges is going to be finding the polite way to say ‘no’,” he cautioned.
Within its consolidated funding settlement, Lancashire will receive £571.5m in capital cash between 2026/27 and 2029-30 and £71.6m in revenue funding through to 2028/29.
Lancashire’s transport priorities
The 20 projects and ambitions in Lancashire’s Local Transport Delivery Plan are:
Active travel infrastructure development and delivery – £49.0m
Design and build out of the local cycling and walking infrastructure network to deliver new and improved facilities that will encourage more trips by those methods.
Active travel behaviour change promotion – £4.5m
Promotion of active travel to help inform decisions about transport mode choice. Linked to infrastructure delivery to ensure maximum benefit for investment.
Bus infrastructure improvements – £64.8m
Development and upgrading of bus stops, bus stations, ticketing kit and ‘non highway assets to increase the attractiveness of bus travel.
Bus priority infrastructure – £15.6m
Development and upgrade of bus lanes and signal priority measures to improve journey-time reliability.
Bus services support – £43.6m
Supporting subsidised services and enhancing commercial services to provide an attractive passenger offer.
Bus fare support, marketing and monitoring – £12.4m
Supporting bus fares, so they remain affordable; providing information and promotions, aiming to increase use; and funding passenger surveys, so data can inform decisions.
Passenger transport safety officers – £1.9m
To be deployed to improve passenger safety and security.
Bus Reform Support – £564k
Investigation of bus franchising options for Lancashire.
Road & infrastructure: major maintenance & enhancements projects £95.7m
New or replacement roads, bridges, tunnels and other major structures, plus road widening – used top-up schemes funded from other sources.
Roadside infrastructure upgrades and improvements – £90.3m
Investment in traffic signals, street lighting, crossings, etc to ensure a safe, reliable and resilient road network across transport modes.
Carriageway maintenance, upgrades and improvements – £188.7m
Preparation and delivery of carriageway maintenance and improvement programmes, to include resurfacing, lining, dropped kerbs etc..
Road safety – £5.7m
Localised improvements and upgrades to address specific road safety risks and improve safety – and perception of safety – across transport modes.
Tramway infrastructure maintenance – £11.6m
Investment in Blackpool tramway infrastructure maintenance to provide safe, reliable, low-emission transport options for residents and visitors.
Cottam Parkway railway station – £28.2m
Delivery of a new station serving the Cottam/Lea areas of Preston. Due to open in December 2030.
Rail station upgrades and improvements – £10.3m
Includes ‘Access for All’ projects and other investments to improve accessibility and customer experience at railway stations.
Future rail services development – £1m
Feasibility, modelling, appraisal and business case development to shape future projects and help bring forward improved rail services.
Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (ELVI) support and delivery – £3.3m
Support the expansion of LEVI to facilitate the transition to electric vehicles and lower emissions.
Programme management support – £13.4m
To prepare and deliver a multimodal programme to provide a safe, reliable, efficient and resilient transport network.
Transport data systems – £1.6m
Collection, analysis and utilisation of transport data to inform reporting, decision making and investment.
Information, marketing and scheme promotion – £651k
Support to activate new schemes and to ensure maximum benefit is realised from other investments.