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Local Highway Improvement funding

Delivery Programme Banner (002)

The Local Highways Improvement (LHI) programme covers all districts in Cambridgeshire and invites any groups or organisations that represent the local community to apply for funding. The schemes are community driven and give local people the opportunity to put forward proposals for highway improvements in their area.

The schemes are delivered by the County Council on a joint funded basis and applicants can apply for funding of up to either £25,000 for complex projects or £10,000 for non-complex projects, as a contribution to their scheme. The applicant is expected to provide a minimum contribution of 10% towards the total scheme cost.

What issue would you like to address?

Preparing an application

Firstly, take a look at the highway measures we offer that may help address the issue you are experiencing or may benefit your local area. You should be able to clearly identify the objective of your application, describing in detail the location and the highway issue you are trying to solve or why an improvement is needed.

Due to the popularity of this initiative, applications are limited as follows:

  • Parish councils - one bid per parish.
  • Town councils - one bid per county council division in the town.
  • Cambridge City - five bids per county council division.
  • Community groups - one additional application, per respective parish, town, or city, (this does not apply to Cambridge City). This application should be applied for in the same way and needs to evidence the support of the locally elected member/s before submitting.

Please note:

  • The LHI initiative is solely for work on the public highway. Proposals for work on unadopted roads or private land will not be accepted.
  • Applications regarding changes to an existing Resident Parking Schemes are not permitted.
  • Applications should be for improvements to the public highway and not for maintenance work to an existing asset, such as a road or footpath.
  • Applications for 20mph speed limits should be made via the 20mph Funding.
  • Applications for private work on the public highway should be made via the Privately Funding Highway Improvements page.

The complex projects are primarily those which will include physical traffic calming measures such as -

  • Raised features, speed cushions, road humps or speed tables
  • Central islands
  • Priority build outs
  • Pedestrian crossings such as zebra crossings
  • Footpaths
  • Cycle paths
  • Speed limits

The non-complex projects are those which involve improvements other than the physical traffic calming measures listed above, and include -

  • Parking restrictions, for example double or single yellow lines
  • Street lighting
  • Buffer zones.
  • Passive calming measures such as village gateways, signs and road markings
  • Mobile Vehicle Activated Signs, (MVAS)

Once you have decided what type of scheme you will be applying for, you will be asked to complete an online application form. This form asks you to provide information specific to your application, confirm you have the support of your local elected member (CMIS website) and that you have informally consulted on your requested improvement with those who will be directly affected should your submission be successful.

It is very important to consult with those who could be impacted by your requested improvement at the pre-application stage to prevent your application being withdrawn at a later stage in the process, especially if it becomes evident local stakeholder support for your requested improvement isn’t forthcoming.

Next steps

Delivery programme

Visit our Local Highway Delivery Programme page to check the progress of the current  programme of projects being delivered across Cambridgeshire.