Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 57
57
Acknowledged
National Highways mitigated risks of pollution from 23 drainage points in 2020/21.
Conclusion
National Highways mitigated risks of pollution from 23 drainage points in 2020/21. At this rate it will take over 55 years to address the 1,326 outfalls and soakaways it has identified as high risk, not to mention the thousands of other potentially polluting drains on the strategic road network. This is unacceptably slow progress. We are sceptical that the company will be able to achieve its target of no net loss of biodiversity without working at a much faster rate to neutralise the direct risks to water quality from those outfalls it manages. (Paragraph 287) Water quality in rivers 127
Government response summary AI-generated
The Department for Transport and National Highways agree that increased ambition and delivery should be supported and will examine the feasibility of using existing funds in the current road period to support this where possible.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government · verbatim extract
Acknowledged
The Department for Transport and National Highways agree that the mitigation of high risk outfalls will support Government objectives to halt species decline. National Highways take a risk based approach to management of highways outfalls which prioritises resources and action towards higher risk outfalls, although risk can never fully be eliminated. By the end of the 2022/23 financial year, National Highways agrees to set out its plans for how these locations could be mitigated by 2030. As referenced in recommendation 35, the Department for Transport is currently developing the 3rd Road Investment Strategy (2025–2030) which provides an opportunity to set out performance requirements and the associated funding required. As this is a future planning round in process it is not possible to make a commitment at this time.
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