The Funding Committee met on Monday 3 August 2026 to consider the allocation of Local Transport Grant (capital) funding for Peterborough City Council and Cambridgeshire County Council. The committee resolved to recommend the approval of £1,522,000 for Peterborough City Council and £3,450,700 for Cambridgeshire County Council, which will be used for local transport improvement schemes.

Local Transport Grant (Capital) Allocations Recommended for Approval

The committee resolved to recommend the approval of the 2026/27 Local Transport Grant (capital) allocations, which form part of the Department for Transport's (DfT) Local Transport Delivery Plan (LTDP) funding. Peterborough City Council would receive £1,522,000 and Cambridgeshire County Council would receive £3,450,700. This funding is intended for delivery through eligible local transport improvement schemes and will be monitored in accordance with the LTDP and DfT assurance requirements.

During the discussion, Councillor Steve Count raised concerns about the value for money assessment for the allocated funds, noting that the relevant sections in the business cases were blank. Tim Bellamy, Assistant Director of Transport, explained that the value for money assessment would be conducted as the detailed schemes are developed, and that the current approval was for the programme level allocation. He assured the committee that there were stringent reporting mechanisms in place with the Department for Transport.

Councillor Martin Hassall also questioned the lack of a value for money assessment in the provided documents, suggesting that past performance data should be used to inform current spending decisions. He also noted a discrepancy between the expected allocation for Cambridgeshire County Council in a previous report (£3.2 million) and the current request (£3.45 million). Tim Bellamy clarified that the £3.4 million figure was the fully allocated amount, while the £3.2 million was an indicative figure from an earlier report, and he would investigate the difference.

Councillor Keith Horgan raised concerns about the start date of April 1st for projects, which was four months prior to the meeting, and questioned if any work had commenced. Tim Bellamy explained that April 1st was the intended start date for Year 1 of the funding programme, and that no work had begun as formal approval and funding had not yet been received.

Councillor Lara Davenport-Ray expressed concerns about the sustainability of the funding in light of devolution changes and potential shifts in council tax and income tax. Tim Bellamy responded that the current four-year plan would be inherited by any future devolved authorities, and that the funding was essentially a swap from central government grants to locally retained taxes, with the potential for growth to provide additional funds.

Councillor Mohammed Jamil specifically inquired about the Nene Valley footway and cycleway improvement project, expressing frustration over the lack of progress and repairs over the past eight years. He was assured that Tim Bellamy would provide further details offline. Councillor Steve Count also shared his experience with the Nene Valley project, highlighting promises made in the past that had not been fulfilled.

Councillor Martin Hassall also commented on the importance of projects being delivered on time and within budget, expressing disappointment that previous performance data had not been more thoroughly reviewed.

Councillor Lara Davenport-Ray made a statement before the vote, emphasizing that her support for the allocation was not an endorsement of how the funds would be spent by the individual councils. She voiced strong concerns about the allocation of funds towards soil-affected roads and the potential for accidents on these routes, arguing that the current allocation matrix, which prioritises traffic volume, was flawed and did not adequately address safety risks for motorcyclists. She stated her intention to vote in favour of the allocation but wanted it on record that she did not associate herself with the perceived shortcomings in how the funds might be spent.

The committee then resolved to recommend the approval of the 2026/27 Local Transport Grant (capital) allocations.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting Approved

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 22 June 2026 were approved as an accurate record.

Next Meeting

The date of the next meeting was confirmed as Monday 7 September 2026.