More than £2.2bn in unspent Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) contributions held by planning authorities in England and Wales could be redirected to tackle the growing local road maintenance backlog, the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Better Roads says. MPs want the government to simplify rules and improve transparency so councils can more readily use CIL funds for carriageway resurfacing, pothole repairs and structural renewals. For highway engineers, this signals potential medium-term funding for asset management plans and heavier interventions beyond reactive patching.

Welsh Senedd members have passed a motion calling for a review of the Barnett Formula and for rail to be formally devolved, arguing that UK Government classification of HS2 as an “England and Wales” project has denied Wales billions in consequential funding. The motion presses Westminster to accelerate rail infrastructure investment in Wales and give Welsh ministers greater flexibility over block grant allocations for schemes such as Core Valley Lines upgrades and mainline electrification. For civil engineers, any change could materially alter long-term funding certainty for renewals, resilience works and new capacity.

The Department for Transport has refused a freedom of information request to disclose what port facilities Chinese state-owned Cosco Shipping operates in the UK, after US officials alleged the firm has enabled Beijing to monitor US military communications. The decision limits public visibility of Cosco’s role in UK container terminals, logistics hubs and potential access to critical maritime data infrastructure such as fibre links and port management systems. Port planners, marine engineers and security consultants may face tighter scrutiny on future concessions, terminal upgrades and digital systems involving Chinese operators.