Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Chris Ames
‘Use one cigarette to spark another’
The blank page and I have so much in common. We both hate each other. We’re also both white, but I don’t want to get political. A lot of my creative practice is tricking myself into never feeling like I’m working from a totally clean slate, and it all stems from something a writing professor mentioned once in passing that has remained lodged in the ashtray of my brain ever since: use one cigarette to spark another.
DfT throws Norfolk – and Shropshire – a lifeline | LocalGov
The Department for Transport (DfT) has said it will not ask Norfolk County Council to return £33m funding towards its shelved £274m link road. In January the highway authority withdrew its planning application for the Norwich Western Link scheme after advice from Natural England about its impact on bats, leaving the council at risk of having to repay the DfT funding.
Zurich calls for more cash to improve local road safety
A major council insurer has called for increased funding for local authority road maintenance and more flexibility when spending it. Ahead of the Spending Review, Zurich Municipal said that the government pledge of £1.6bn in 2025-26 to tackle ‘the pothole plague’ won't begin to put a dent in the backlog of potholes that has impacted the nation, with an estimated £16bn required in order to repair local roads.
Surrey gets ahead of the pothole game with switch to AI
Surrey County Council is thought to be the first local authority in the UK to move away from manual inspections and solely use video and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to log and programme pothole repairs. Computer vision cameras fitted to dashboards inside the authority’s highways vehicles will spot and photograph potholes and other defects, which will then be automatically recorded for repair.
DfT takes Network North £8.3bn off the table
Senior Department for Transport (DfT) officials have made clear that councils can no longer count on the previous government’s pledge of an extra £8.3bn over 11 years for local highway maintenance. At a Public Accounts Committee hearing on local roads in England, committee chair Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP referenced the ‘pot’ of £8.3bn additional cash said to be redirected from HS2.
Major Road Network identified as 'road safety priority'
The crash rate on major local authority roads in England is four times that on National Highways’ strategic road network (SRN), a new report has found. The Road Safety Foundation’s (RSF) annual crash risk mapping report argues that investing £2.5bn in road safety schemes – mostly in local roads – could prevent more than 17,000 deaths and serious injuries over the next 20 years, saving society nearly £9bn.
'Own goal' as £20m traffic signals fund cancelled
The Labour government has cancelled a £20m fund for highway authorities to deploy advanced technology for traffic control, which councils had already bid for. The Department for Transport (DfT) has written to English local authority chief executives to inform them that the previous Government’s plan for an Intelligent Traffic Management Fund (ITMF) has been shelved.
Council increasingly bothered by badgers
Damage caused by badgers to a Lincolnshire road ‘has turned out to be much more severe than previously thought,’ the highway authority has said. Lincolnshire County Council had planned to carry out repairs to the A52 Seaholme Road in Mablethorpe under a 48-hour road closure last weekend after badgers dug under the structure.
Council declares badger emergency
Lincolnshire County Council has obtained a ‘last-minute’ licence from Natural England for emergency works to stop a road falling apart after it was damaged by badgers. The highway authority said the subterranean mammals had dug under the structure of A52 Seaholme Road in Mablethorpe. It wants to repair the damage before it gets worse but has had to wait for a licence from Natural England because badgers are a protected species.
Budget: Chancellor targets local growth with transport spend
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced extra transport cash for regional mayors alongside incremental extensions to existing rail schemes, but departmental spending remains tight. The Budget provides an additional £200m for City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements, (CRSTS) bringing local transport spending for Metro Mayors in 2025-26 to £1.3bn.
Bus fare cap stays for 2025 – at £3 per journey | LocalGov
Bus fares across the country will rise in the new year as part of a ‘managed exit’ from the £2 fare cap. Prime minister Keir Starmer confirmed on Monday that the maximum fare for a single bus journey in England outside London will rise to £3 on 1 January, when the current £2 cap expires.
Welsh councils face 'challenging' 20mph decisions
Welsh highway authorities face ‘challenging decisions’ as they review requests for some roads to be exempt from the country’s 20mph default speed limit, council leaders have said. Following a ‘National Listening Programme’ and the publication of revised Welsh Government guidance for highway authorities, authorities are reviewing feedback ‘to ensure 20mph is targeted on the right roads’.
Stafford declares 'roads emergency'
Councillors in Stafford have declared a ‘roads emergency’ across the county of Staffordshire. At a full meeting of Stafford Borough Council, members passed a motion stating: ‘The state of our borough highways is now at breaking point.’ It added: ‘Road users risk damage to their vehicles and injury to themselves travelling on our roads and it is unacceptable.’ The council is Labour led with support from independents and the Green Party.
Councils to be empowered in 'bus revolution'
LEGISLATION Haigh: Councils to be empowered in 'bus revolution' Local transport authorities will be given the powers to take control of bus services under legislation being laid before Parliament today. By William Eichler | 09 September 2024 SHARE © Hazel Plater/Shutterstock.com Local transport authorities will be given the powers to take control of bus services under legislation being laid before Parliament today.
Council grasps the nettle with ANPR cameras
Rotherham Council is installing automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras at five ‘key sites’ under new powers to enforce moving traffic offences. The highway authority said the cameras will allow enforcement against drivers who are putting themselves and others at risk by driving through pedestrian zones and making other illegal manoeuvres. It said motorists have ignored restrictions at the sites for a number of years, with police officers previously needed on site to catch offenders.
Huge variation in on-street EV charger provision
A new report has revealed significant disparities between local authority areas in electric vehicle (EV) charging provision for EV owners without off-street parking. In some areas, the vast majority of ‘on-street’ households have a public charger within a five-minute walk, while the figure is less than 10% in others. Net zero data analytics consultancy Field Dynamics, in collaboration with Zapmap, found a 60% increase in the number of charger locations in Great Britain between 2022 and 2024.
Safety warning as 75-year-old fills potholes
A Scottish council has expressed health and safety and insurance concerns after a 75-year-old resident used gardening tools to fill in potholes outside her home. The Guardian reported that Jenny Paterson, who lives on the main street in the village of Halkirk in Caithness, had filled in what she described a '12 foot long crater’ outside her house, the remnant of work that had never been resurfaced, as well as ‘other lumps and bumps’.
Haigh: Councils should decide on traffic measures
The transport secretary has pledged to back councils that implement low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) and 20mph limits, with the new government ‘absolutely determined’ to end the Tories’ ‘culture wars’ approach to transport. Louise Haigh told the Streets Ahead podcast that a speech by her predecessor Mark Harper, which referenced 15-minute cities, had led to some council officers getting death threats. She said: ‘Local authorities will have my full support to roll out schemes.
Councils should decide on traffic measures
POLITICS Haigh: Councils should decide on traffic measures Transport secretary Louise Haigh has pledged to back councils that implement low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) and 20mph limits. By Chris Ames | 22 August 2024 SHARE Transport secretary Louise Haigh has pledged to back councils that implement low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) and 20mph limits. Haigh said the Government was ‘absolutely determined' to end the Conservatives' ‘culture wars' approach to transport.
Council adapts culvert to help otters cross road
West Sussex County Council is installing a new ‘mammal shelf’ in a culvert under the A272 to help otters crossing the road. In collaboration with the National Trust and Arun and Rother Rivers Trust, the highway authority is installing the shelf this autumn in an undisclosed location close to one of the county’s only breeding otter populations. It said that at one point there were no otters in West Sussex with road casualties thought to be one of the main issues hampering their return.
Croydon splashes £12.5m on highways
Croydon Council’s executive mayor has approved a £12.5m capital programme for the borough’s highway infrastructure for 2024-25, as well as a new five-year Highway Asset Management Strategy. The programme is funded by the London borough’s capital budget, Transport for London (TfL) and the second tranch of the Department for Transport’s ‘Network North’ reallocated HS2 capital funding.
ULEZ working even better than expected, Khan says
City Hall has said the controversial expansion of Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) across the whole of London is ‘working better than expected’ according to new data. A report covering the first six months of the expansion suggests that pollutant emissions in 2023 with the London-wide ULEZ expansion in place are 'dramatically lower' than compared to a scenario without it.
A Time Machine called grief
SHARE Copy Link Facebook X LinkedIn On my first day back from bereavement leave, my co-worker goes, “This’ll make you feel younger” and I go, “That’s what all drugs do, dummy” but they go, no, this is different, maybe you’ve seen it online, Time Machine, people type it out like ™, like a trademark, it’s a mix of MDMA and the glutamate regulators found in Alzheimer’s medication, you know how Ozempic was supposed to be for diabetes, but it’s actually a shortcut to the perfect body, the only...
King's Speech: Labour to boost public control of buses and trains
The King has confirmed that the new Government will bring forward legislation to bring bus and rail services more closely under public control, including public ownership of train operators. At the State Opening of Parliament, King Charles told assembled peers and MPs: ‘A Bill will be introduced to allow local leaders to take control of their local bus services.
Devolution takes centre stage
The announcement of an English Devolution Bill took centre stage in the King's Speech. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's flagship legislation - which promised ‘new powers for metro mayors and combined authorities' - was presented as a key plank in the Government's bid to grow the economy. King Charles said: ‘Greater devolution of decision making is at the heart of a modern dynamic economy and is a key driver of economic growth.
Local leaders can take control of bus services
TRANSPORT King's Speech: Local leaders can take control of bus services The King has confirmed the new Government will bring forward legislation to bring bus services more closely under public control. By Chris Ames | 17 July 2024 SHARE Bus in Darlington (c) Hazel Plater-Shutterstock.com The King has confirmed the new Government will bring forward legislation to bring bus services more closely under public control.
Brabin seeks public's views on tram plans
The West Yorkshire Combined Authority has launched a public consultation on options for two tram lines in the Leeds-Bradford area, mooted as the first stage of a long-awaited mass transit system. The proposals follow high level plans set out by Mayor Tracy Brabin earlier this year and a pledge of £2.5bn redirected HS2 cash to ‘ensure delivery of a West Yorkshire Mass Transit System for Leeds and the wider area’.
App data 'suggests 11.5 million potholes in UK'
There are five times more defects on British roads than previous estimates, according to data from a dashboard app that uses AI technology. Campaigner Mark Morrell, also known as Mr Pothole, said data from Stan the App, which detects and classifies potholes, suggests that there are 11.5 million potholes on the UK road network. Video from the app’s 7,000 users is reported to have shown there are 1.5 million defects across the 13% of UK roads it has mapped so far.
New road marking contract for Notts highways
Road marking and maintenance firm WJ Group has won a new contract with Via East Midlands to deliver road marking services across Nottinghamshire. The deal, announced with an undisclosed value, will see WJ deliver both the reactive maintenance work and planned improvement schemes across Nottinghamshire County Council’s road network. WJ said a key reason for its successful tender was its ongoing environmental strategy, adding that it is on an active path to be net-zero operationally by 2032.
TfL lets the wildflowers bloom
Transport for London (TfL) says it has delivered its pledge of doubling wildflower verges in roadside areas to encourage biodiversity. It pledged last year to increase biodiversity, mitigate climate change and become more sustainable in its operations by increasing the amount of wildflower verges and said it has now doubled the area managed in this way to more than 260,000 square metres.
LGTAG guidance on home EV charging
The Local Government Technical Advisers Group (LGTAG) has published new guidance on charging private electric vehicles (EV) on the public highway. The document, which follows an initial guidance note published late last year, notes that while the Government is promoting EVs as a low carbon, lower pollution alternative, some LGTAG member organisations have highlighted challenges with their roll-out.
Council borrows to spend £10m more on roads
West Northamptonshire Council plans to borrow up to £10m to spend on schemes aimed at improving roads across the district. The highway authority estimated that halting the decline in the condition of its network requires at least an extra £8m each year above the current allocation and that, the additional funding will enable a programme that will see improvement across many parts of the district.
RAC issues safety warning over obscured signs
More than half of motorists say obscured signs are a frequent occurrence on their journeys, according to a survey by the RAC. The motoring organisation said the findings reveal that out-of-control foliage can have a detrimental effect on road safety. Three-quarters (74%) of drivers say speed limit signs are the most likely type of sign to be covered up by overgrown foliage, with 30mph signs the most commonly obscured.
Councils given extra time on signals plans
The Department for Transport (DfT) has given English highway authorities an extra month to set out what they plan to do with their share of £50m for upgrading traffic signals. Last month 67 authorities won allocations from the Traffic Signal Obsolescence Grant (TSOG) challenge element or Green Light Fund (GLF), totalling £20m each, with all eligible authorities getting a share of £10m ‘automatic’ TSOG funding.
Council faces court over busway deaths
Cambridgeshire County Council has been served a court summons over three fatalities in separate incidents on its troubled guided busway. The prosecution relates to the deaths of Jennifer Taylor, Steve Moir and Kathleen Pitts on the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway between 2015 and 2021. The council confirmed that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has served it prosecution summonses and that a court hearing date has been set.
Council to be prosecuted over busway deaths
The prosecution relates to the deaths of Jennifer Taylor, Steve Moir and Kathleen Pitts between 2015 and 2021. Receive The MJ magazine each week and gain access to all the content on this website with a subscription. Full website content includes additional, exclusive commentary and analysis on the issues affecting local government. Already a subscriber? Login
Auditors warned over relief road 'iceberg'
A councillor has asked Shropshire Council’s external auditor to investigate concerns the North West Relief Road (NWRR) in Shrewsbury will 'completely bankrupt the council'. Liberal Democrat councillor David Vasmer, who sits on the committee that gave planning permission for the road, has written to Grant Thornton UK LLP to raise concerns about an alleged series of failures by the council to follow its own proper procedures.
Council parking income set to top £2bn
English Councils received nearly £2bn in income from on and off-street parking in 2022-23, but paid out nearly £1bn in running and enforcement costs. Outturn data for the year published by the Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) showed that councils in England had a total income including fines from on-street parking of £1,196m and £730m from off street parking, totalling £1,927m.
Councils hold back cash plans on fixing potholes
The Department for Transport said that as a condition of the funding and to make sure the money was being spent on pothole repairs, local authorities were required to publish a two-year plan detailing exactly which roads will benefit. Receive The MJ magazine each week and gain access to all the content on this website with a subscription. Full website content includes additional, exclusive commentary and analysis on the issues affecting local government. Already a subscriber? Login
DfT stalls moving traffic enforcement roll-out
The Department for Transport (DfT) has shelved the further roll-out of powers for English councils to enforce moving traffic violations. The Government was due to lay regulations in Parliament on 11 March, to allow a new tranche of 22 local highway authorities to enforce such contraventions at identified locations from 6 April.
Government shelves rollout of council powers
Ministers were due to lay regulations in Parliament last month to allow a tranche of 22 local authorities to enforce contraventions such as driving the wrong way down one-way streets and ignoring no entry signs from tomorrow. Receive The MJ magazine each week and gain access to all the content on this website with a subscription. Full website content includes additional, exclusive commentary and analysis on the issues affecting local government. Already a subscriber? Login
Oxfordshire signs first scheme under new 'brownfield fund'
Oxfordshire County Council is the first local authority to secure project funding through Homes England's Brownfield, Infrastructure and Land (BIL) Fund. The county signed an agreement to secure £17m towards its A34 Lodge Hill interchange scheme and has appointed Balfour Beatty to design and build the work. The junction, which is located between Abingdon and Oxford, only has north-facing slip roads.
Norfolk caught in bitter battle over bats
A council leader has launched a bitter attack on Natural England after the environment watchdog effectively blocked a £274m road scheme due to its impact on bats. At a meeting of Norfolk County Council on Tuesday, Conservative Kay Mason Billig accused the ‘unelected quango’ of ‘moving the goal posts to such an extent that they will make it almost impossible for us to be granted a licence’ for its Norwich Western Link.
VolkerFitzpatrick wins £38m Kent viaduct project
Kent County Council has appointed VolkerFitzpatrick to design and build a highway crossing over a rail line and river near Canterbury. The £34m Sturry Link Road project, funded through the Local Growth Fund, will divert traffic on the A28 away from the existing level crossing, one of Kent’s most heavily congested areas. It will also support over 16,000 new homes.
DfT hands councils £38m for road safety
Ministers have announced £38.3m to improve the safety of 17 high risk local roads in England, taking the spending under the Safer Roads Fund beyond the £175m originally pledged. The Department for Transport (DfT) said the cash comes on top of £147.5m already allocated to deliver ‘life-saving improvements’ on 82 high risk roads across England. Modelling suggests the funding could save 385 lives over the next 20 years, with up to a 30.8% reduction in fatal and serious injuries on some roads.
Winners announced on £40m signals cash
The Department for Transport has published the list of 80 councils sharing £40m to upgrade traffic signals. The cash comprises £20m under the Traffic Signals Obsolescence Grant (TSOG) to replace unreliable and obsolete equipment and £20m from the Green Light Fund (GLF) to tune up traffic signals to better reflect current traffic conditions.
Brabin to take control of West Yorkshire buses
West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin has confirmed that she will take forward proposals for bus franchising from 2027 onwards in 'the biggest shake up to public transport in the region for decades'. Routes, frequencies, fares and overall standards for buses in the region will be set by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA), with private operators contracted to run services on the authority’s behalf.
£4.7bn local transport cash to support 'smaller cities and towns'
Local authorities in the North and Midlands have been given a capital boost under a £4.7bn Local Transport Fund, and have a year to prepare plans, the Government has announced. The Department for Transport (DfT) has confirmed the allocations for individual local authorities from the cash, which is said to have been reallocated from planned spending on HS2 following its curtailment in October.
Ministers did not stop LTNs receiving cash
Officials have confirmed that last year’s allocation of £200m government funding for cycling and walking excluded low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) because no LTN bid matched funding criteria rather than because ministers had blocked such schemes.
Councils 'have tightened pothole payout criteria'
Compensation paid by councils for damage caused by potholes has fallen by more than a half, with some giving out ‘next to nothing’, according to a new analysis of official data. Based on data obtained through the Freedom of Information Act by the Liberal Democrats and reported last month, the Telegraph reported that compensation paid by 85 councils fell from £3.7m to £1.7m between 2019-20 and 2022-23. In fact, payouts by the same councils totalled slightly less than £1.7m in 2021-22.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Chris
Contact Chris, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack