The future direction of more than 150 transport initiatives across the West Midlands region is set to become more defined in the coming months as a crucial funding review advances. Members of the West Midlands Combined Authority's Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee have been informed that 168 separate schemes are currently under examination as part of the ongoing Rosewell Review.
Systematic Assessment of Transport Priorities
Established to determine the optimal utilisation of £2.4 billion in devolved transport funding, the Rosewell Review represents a fundamental shift in how major capital programmes are planned and executed across the region. Interim chief executive Ed Cox revealed that 78 of the 168 schemes remain at the conceptual stage, highlighting the need for careful evaluation before committing substantial resources.
During a recent committee session, Mr Cox explained the new systematic approach being implemented: "The Rosewell Review is helping us to look much more systematically at the way in which we plan for major capital programmes. Historically, the way in which the Combined Authority worked was to take the entire budget and allocate that entire budget at the moment at which we were notified of the funding."
Transparent Decision-Making Process
Every project will undergo assessment based on multiple criteria including economic benefits before what officials describe as "transparent decisions" are made regarding funding allocation. The new methodology involves categorising projects according to their development pathway and allocating appropriate funding at each stage of progression.
"What we are not doing is committing huge sums of money to a project that is still at a concept stage," emphasised Mr Cox. "What we can do is start to allocate small amounts of revenue funding in order to start to explore at each different stage where a project is up to. As it passes a gateway according to transparent criteria, we can then say we can move to the next stage until finally it receives the actual commitment of capital funding."
Political Scrutiny and Regional Development
Committee chair Tim Huxtable pressed for clarity during a question and answer session with Mayor Richard Parker, stating: "As councillors, we're always seeking a positive difference for our wards, cities and town and the West Midlands as a whole. When are we actually going to be told where new schemes will actually commence, building on that legacy of work which has either been delivered or is under construction and nearly complete?"
Mayor Parker responded by highlighting that several major schemes have already progressed to the WMCA Board, including:
- The Metro extension to the £3 billion Sports Quarter
- Infrastructure supporting Birmingham City FC's new Powerhouse Stadium
- Investment into Witton and Aston Railway stations to support Aston Villa
Clear Timelines and Regional Collaboration
"We are working through the Rosewell Review on those list of major projects and currently we're going through a process, clarifying the projects and their status," explained Mayor Parker. "Importantly, what we will be really clear about is where the projects are in the timetable in going through the due process. Every part of this region is contributing to that process and those plans are being built up with and through our council partners."
The review process is expected to gain momentum with a paper scheduled to go before the WMCA Board in February, outlining the new assessment framework. By Autumn, officials anticipate having established a clear process for every project to enter the development pathway and commence their journey toward potential funding approval.
This represents a significant departure from previous practices where entire budgets were allocated immediately upon notification of funding, which Mr Cox noted "ties everybody's hands for the whole period and makes it very difficult to unlock projects or find additional funding for when new projects come into the pipeline."
