CALLS have been made to change UK planning procedures to speed up start dates of road improvement schemes.

The Road Users’ Alliance (RUA), which represents a cross-section of business and private motorists, says many ‘approved’ local road schemes are still waiting for work to be started.

Speaking at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) annual conference in London, RUA director Tim Green said: ‘Vital budgets for road improvements are being severely depleted as convoluted planning procedures stall delivery and increase costs.’

He said that Britain’s congestion is the worst in Europe and that road capacity has been neglected for decades.

He also claimed that new road-widening schemes and by-passes to keep traffic moving are running between two and three years late.

David Frost, director general of the BCC, said: ‘Roads are the most important aspect of this country’s transport network, with 84% of businesses viewing roads as essential to their future success.’