Local transport spending on track but risks remain, says TfWM
Now in its final year, the £1bn investment programme for sustainable active travel is on track to meet its ambitious target, according to a report by Transport for West Midlands.
As of the end of June, the City Regions Sustainable Transport Settlement was broadly in line with the £1.055bn forecast for the end of the year, having spent £75.4m in Q1.
Total approved funding was £1.287bn, over the current £1.182bn settlement, aligned with WMCA overprogramming to maximize delivery. Some spend past March 2027 is allowed, the authority said, having been agreed with Department for Transport.
The WMCA report was written by Phil Havenhand, programme lead CRSTS, and Scott Cooper, senior project manager at TfWM. The accountable director is Sandeep Shingadia, executive director interim of TfWM.
Budget reviews were undertaken in September 2023 and July 2024 to reflect inflation and project pressures.
A further rebaseline in May 2025 shifted £162m into schemes with higher delivery chances before March 2027.
WMCA collects quarterly updates covering progress, risks, milestones, expenditure, and local contributions.
Future reports will flag schemes with milestone slippage over 40 days or spend variance over 10%.
Major risks include economic instability increasing costs, governance complexity, concentration of delivery activities, and staffing shortages. These risks could delay project completion, escalate costs, and impact programme outcomes.
Notable milestones this year include completion of rail works on the Camp Hill Line, Rose Hill to Pinson Road active travel corridor in Walsall, and bid submissions for Tile Hill Station, A45 cycle route in Coventry, and approval for a cycle and bus corridor from Moxley to Walsall town centre.
Approximately £713.3m of the £1.182bn allocated has been spent by June 2026. Forecast expenditure for the remainder of the year is £348m. Local contributions total approximately £124.7m, exceeding the £120m target, funded through various sources including borrowing and private sector efforts.
The programme aligns with national aims to drive growth, decarbonise transport, and promote regional levelling-up efforts. It supports the West Midlands Growth Plan and strategic priorities of the WMCA.
The WMCA Investment Board oversees the programme, supported by enhanced terms of reference and a robust assurance process.
Five business cases and two change requests were compliant with the Programme Assurance & Appraisal process during this period.
A review by Arup in 2024 found “delays, funding gaps, and shortcomings”. However, Mayor Richard Parker blamed “unrealistic commitments” made by his predecessor Andy Street.
