Asked by: Lord Bridges of Headley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what contingency plans they have prepared to support affected local authorities should they be unsuccessful in their applications to the Structures Fund.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Structures Fund is only available for structures that local highway authorities and third parties cannot afford to maintain at, or restore to, full functionality themselves.
The Government is providing a record £7.3bn for highways maintenance from 26-27 to 29-30. It is also providing £15.6 billion through Transport for City Regions (TCR) settlements to transform the local transport networks of 9 eligible mayoral strategic authorities 26/27-31/32; a £2.3 billion Local Transport Grant for local transport infrastructure to local transport authorities outside London which do not receive TCR settlements from 26/27 to 29/30; and a £2.2 billion settlement for Transport for London. All of this funding can be used for structures on local highway networks.
The deadline for local highway authorities to put forward schemes is 3 August 2026.
Asked by: Lord Bridges of Headley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Wandsworth Council about the future of Putney Bridge, the Albert Bridge and the Chelsea Bridge.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department engages regularly with London local highway authorities on matters related to their local highways networks.
Any recent discussions about the future of any of the named bridges has been under the auspices of the structures fund where authorities have been encouraged to submit applications in line with the principles of the fund.
The technical advisory body (to the fund) is, of course, having conversations on behalf of the Department about the future of bridges that local highway authorities have put forward to the structures fund; including those in London.
Asked by: Lord Bridges of Headley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames about the future of Hammersmith Bridge.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department engages regularly with London local highway authorities on matters related to their local highways networks.
Any recent discussions about the future of any of the named bridges has been under the auspices of the structures fund where authorities have been encouraged to submit applications in line with the principles of the fund.
The technical advisory body (to the fund) is, of course, having conversations on behalf of the Department about the future of bridges that local highway authorities have put forward to the structures fund; including those in London.
Asked by: Lord Bridges of Headley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Westminster City Council about the future of the Vauxhall Bridge, Lambeth Bridge and Westminster Bridge.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department engages regularly with London local highway authorities on matters related to their local highways networks.
Any recent discussions about the future of any of the named bridges has been under the auspices of the structures fund where authorities have been encouraged to submit applications in line with the principles of the fund.
The technical advisory body (to the fund) is, of course, having conversations on behalf of the Department about the future of bridges that local highway authorities have put forward to the structures fund; including those in London.
Asked by: Lord Bridges of Headley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea about the future of the Albert Bridge and the Chelsea Bridge.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department engages regularly with London local highway authorities on matters related to their local highways networks.
Any recent discussions about the future of any of the named bridges has been under the auspices of the structures fund where authorities have been encouraged to submit applications in line with the principles of the fund.
The technical advisory body (to the fund) is, of course, having conversations on behalf of the Department about the future of bridges that local highway authorities have put forward to the structures fund; including those in London.
Asked by: Lord Bridges of Headley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham about the future of Putney Bridge and Hammersmith Bridge.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department engages regularly with London local highway authorities on matters related to their local highways networks.
Any recent discussions about the future of any of the named bridges has been under the auspices of the structures fund where authorities have been encouraged to submit applications in line with the principles of the fund.
The technical advisory body (to the fund) is, of course, having conversations on behalf of the Department about the future of bridges that local highway authorities have put forward to the structures fund; including those in London.
Asked by: Lord Bridges of Headley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Lambeth Council about the future of Vauxhall Bridge, Lambeth Bridge and Westminster Bridge.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department engages regularly with London local highway authorities on matters related to their local highways networks.
Any recent discussions about the future of any of the named bridges has been under the auspices of the structures fund where authorities have been encouraged to submit applications in line with the principles of the fund.
The technical advisory body (to the fund) is, of course, having conversations on behalf of the Department about the future of bridges that local highway authorities have put forward to the structures fund; including those in London.
Asked by: Lord Bridges of Headley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment ministers have made of (1) the adequacy of funding for the Structures Fund, and (2) the length of time applicants must wait for the outcome of their bids for funding from the Structures Fund.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises that repair or replacement of some highway structures are unaffordable from local highway authorities’ existing budgets and so launched the Structures Fund in April to support the capital costs of repairing or replacing these structures. The deadline for local highway authorities to put forward schemes is 3 August 2026 and the Government intends to announce funding awards this Autumn.