The Department for Transport (DfT) has ended the highways self-assessment process, removing the incentive element of local maintenance capital funding in its current form, Highways understands.
Senior sources have said that self-assessment 'has been dropped' and when asked directly, the DfT did not deny that it had run its course.
One source told Highways that a bid had been submitted to the Government for a third party to manage the Incentive Fund self-assessment process on behalf of the DfT and the UK Roads Board. Months later officials confirmed the bid was being rejected because the process would not be continued, Highways understands.
Highways first reported in February this year that the self-assessment process had gone to a ministerial review. It now appears a de facto decision has been made.
A DfT spokesman stressed that the original highways maintenance incentive element was not being abandoned as it was only designed to run between 2015/16 – 2020/21, and was extended by an extra two years to mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The spokesman added that the department was still keeping the highways maintenance incentive element under review and suggested potential ways that it could be developed in the future.
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