Councils should be given more flexibility over funding, a senior councillor has said in the aftermath of reallocated funding from HS2.

Local authorities in the North of England will receive £2.5bn and those in the Midlands will get £2.2bn between 2025 and 2032 to improve transport after the Government abandoned the second phase HS2 last year.  

The Local Government Association's transport spokesperson, Darren Rodwell, said councils needed to be given the 'freedom and flexibility' so they can make long-term decisions.

The decision on how the funding will be spent will be for councils to make but Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to call on ministers and MPs to hold local authorities to account to ensure the money is 'used appropriately'.

Over the seven years as a whole, this funding will be on average at least nine times more than these local authorities currently receive through the integrated transport block.