More than £17m will be invested into Nottingham’s transport network in 2026/27, thanks to the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA).

The City Council is expected to accept the funding at its Executive Board meeting on Tuesday 21 April.

EMCCA, which has now taken over the role of directing the allocation of local transport funding, is providing funding for projects in Nottingham in four streams:

• Asset resilience (formerly Highways Maintenance Block funding) – £8.014m
• Communities and neighbourhoods (formerly Integrated Transport Block funding) – £3.587m
• Local area priority investment schemes – £5m
• Feasibility and development revenue funding – £1m

Asset resilience – £8.014m

In recognition of long-term under-investment at a national level, EMCCA’s Committee Members have identified the need for a strong asset maintenance programme as a priority investment.  This includes using a ‘Whole Street Approach’, where maintenance work is delivered alongside other improvements such as to footpaths, trees, signage as well as roads.

Our annual programme of highway maintenance priorities is developed based on condition surveys and inspections, however the additional funding confirmed by EMCCA for 2026/27 will also enable further major maintenance activities to be undertaken. This investment will be used to improve the city’s main roads and local streets, including but not limited to:

• the full length of Abbey Street and Abbey Bridge
• Nuthall Road
• Middleton Boulevard
• Edwards Lane
• Bramcote Lane
• Western Boulevard

Communities and neighbourhoods (formerly Integrated Transport Block funding) – £3.587m

This funding will be used for:

• Additional connectivity and access improvements including to Nottingham’s new Waterside walking and cycling bridge
• Improvements to the rights of way network
• Increase sustainable transport choices through creation of more mobility hubs, and support the development of future transport services
• Continue our popular Workplace Travel Service providing green travel grants to city employers
• Further phase of the upgrading of ‘Parksmart’ digital signing making it easier to find available parking spaces
• Renewal of traffic signals, replacing life expired equipment and new crossing facilities

Before and after example from completed Streets for People works

Local area priority investment schemes – £5m

A – Streets for People £3m (with further £4m committed for 2027/28 and £5m for 2028/29)

Continuation of the Streets for People programme delivering small scale improvements across city neighbourhoods. Funding is allocated at ward level with schemes prioritised in consultation with ward councillors and Area Committees over the summer before work begins this autumn.

B – Safer Roads £2m (with further £3m committed for 2027/28 and £4m for 2028/29)

A programme of road safety and traffic management improvements will be delivered across all wards of the city based on casualty risk and local concerns, supporting delivery of the Government’s recently published Road Safety Strategy and new emerging Nottingham Road Safety Strategy. This will include the implementation of new crossing facilities/road safety measures to a number of schools across the city.

Feasibility and development revenue funding – £1m

In addition to the above, the council has been awarded a further £1million revenue funding for feasibility and development work to develop the future programme of schemes. This includes the next phase of development work around Maid Marian Way, the Broad Marsh area connectivity, including future tram stop, an extension of the public realm from the Green Heart along Lister Gate, Nottingham Station Gateway improvements package, further development of the Ring Road, and other transport improvements linked to development sites.

Councillor Linda Woodings, Executive Member for Regional Development, Growth and Transport at Nottingham City Council, said: “Securing this £17.6 million investment from the East Midlands Combined County Authority is a major boost for Nottingham and will play a vital role in helping us deliver our transport priorities for the city.

“This funding will allow us to improve the condition of our roads and streets, make it easier and safer for people to walk, wheel and cycle, and continue developing a modern, sustainable transport network that works for all our communities. From vital maintenance on key routes to neighbourhood improvements and safer roads around our schools, this programme will deliver real, visible benefits for residents and businesses right across Nottingham.”

Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward, said: “This investment is about putting people first and backing Nottingham with the funding it needs to keep moving. Through EMCCA, we are taking a more joined up, long term approach to transport funding, focusing not just on fixing what’s needed but improving whole streets and neighbourhoods. By supporting the council to deliver these projects, we’re investing in a transport network that is focused on what people need to get on.”