Guidance

How Highways England supports economic growth

Find out how Highways England plans for, and supports, economic growth.

The strategic road network (SRN) is vital to the success of the UK economy. Highways England supports the economy by ensuring safe, efficient, reliable journeys on our network of major roads. This allows goods to move through England and beyond.

Supporting economic growth is one of the five strategic objectives set out in our Strategic Business Plan. It influences everything that we do – both with our current work and our future investment planning.

We are delivering £15 billion of investment in England’s motorways and major A roads as described by the government’s Road Investment Strategy. This will deliver more than 100 schemes to increase capacity, transform connectivity, and improve the condition of the network.

We also make a significant contribution to the UK’s economy through our Growth and Housing Fund, our operation of the network, and through our role as statutory consultee in the planning system. We have published a strategic economic plan describing how we will work to increase our economic impact.

The Road to Growth: our Strategic Economic Growth Plan

The Road to Growth is our first strategic economic growth plan – a plan for maximising the economic impact of the SRN. It sets out new evidence about the SRN’s relationship with the economy, and explains how we will further increase our economic impact.

Our strategic plan is already influencing our activity, and will inform the next Road Investment Strategy. It will continue to influence our business and our investment decisions for many years ahead.

The Road to Growth sets out the practical steps we are taking to increase our economic contribution in 4 areas:

  1. Supporting business productivity and competitiveness, and enabling the performance of SRN–reliant sectors
  2. Providing efficient routes to global markets through international gateways
  3. Stimulating and supporting the sustainable development of homes and employment spaces
  4. Providing employment, skills and business opportunities within our sector

Most of the steps we have identified will be delivered in partnership with others, including national and sub-national transport bodies, local authorities, local enterprise partnerships, business sector organisations, and government agencies.

The Road to Growth: Our Strategic Economic Growth Plan

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email [email protected]. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Socio-economic analysis, future forecasts and the strategic road network

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email [email protected]. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

International Gateways and the SRN

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email [email protected]. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Economic Growth and the SRN

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email [email protected]. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Commercial Development and the SRN

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email [email protected]. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Analysis of stakeholder discussion

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email [email protected]. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Considering the Economic Significance of the SRN

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email [email protected]. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Assessment of Growth Impacts

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email [email protected]. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Strategic planning

In September 2015 we launched our new planning guide – Planning for the Future: a guide to working with Highways England on planning matters which sets out our commitment to being a positive, proactive strategic planning partner. It describes what we look for in emerging local plans and development proposals.

Growth and Housing Fund

The Road Investment Strategy committed £100 million for a Growth and Housing Fund, to be developed and run by Highways England. This fund can provide an element of match funding for highways schemes that are needed to unlock stalled development sites.

Growth and Housing Fund leaflet

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email [email protected]. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

List of confirmed Growth and Housing Fund investments

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email [email protected]. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Region and local authority planning contact email addresses

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email [email protected]. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

If you want to know more or have ideas or views to share, email: [email protected]

Updates to this page

Published 29 July 2016
Last updated 27 July 2017 + show all updates
  1. Region and local authority planning contact email addresses document added

  2. Road to Growth document added

  3. Strategic Economic Growth Plan updated

  4. First published.

Sign up for emails or print this page