Speaking at the 2011 Highways Term Maintenance Association conference, Transport Minister Norman Baker declined to set a financial target for highways maintenance efficiency savings as he launched a new programme to help councils do more with the available money.

Baker said the DfT’s £6m highways maintenance efficiency programme would offer new toolkits, model contracts, standard specifications and case studies for local authorities to use if they wished. It is believed that if all highways authorities adopt the best practice on procurement and collaborative working up to £1bn could be saved.

Baker also said a new potholes initiatives would be launched and that he wanted ‘to address the causes as well as the symptoms’  to offer ‘long-term solution for a long-standing problem’. Interim findings of the potholes project will be ready by October.

Later in the conference agenda, the government was attacked by the CBI for not having a strategic vision for the UK road network. Dr. Neil Bentley, the business lobbying organisation’s Deputy Director General said investing in roads benefits the economy, underlining the significant return on investment for big infrastructure projects.

The strategic vision for our roads must start with a national policy statement on road and rail, and a full review of the Highways Agency. Dr. Bentley called on the government to unlock the full potential of private capital and innovative finance mechanisms, including tax-incremental financing (TIF) schemes, to support investment in our road network.

He commented: “Instead of a strategic vision, we have a policy of make do and mend. £200m of investment in tackling potholes is welcome and vital to fix roads up and down the country, but it will not deliver the network-wide improvements we need. The lack of vision is tying us to to a roads policy that is tentative, unplanned and  – in the view of CBI members – consistently falling short.

Norman Baker’s Conference Address

HTMA received the largest attendance to date, with senior people from the private and public sector due keen to address the challenges and opportunities that they are facing together in the wake of the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review.

Over 250 delegates heard about the agenda for highways maintenance and management sector change, with keynote presentations from industry leaders focusing on the need to create positive opportunity out of the financial crisis by achieving greater efficiency and relying more on collaboration and innovation between public and private sector organisations.

“The conference was the perfect platform to reiterate our commitment to ensuring improvements in the sector,” said HTMA Secretariat Director Phil Shirley. “We have collectively determined the need of this difficult hour, which is closer collaboration between the public and private sectors to deliver an improved service to the public.

“It was a testament to the influence of HTMA and the commitment of the private and public sector to work together, to see so many senior people at the conference at a time when our industry is going through one of it’s most difficult ever periods.

“Everyone gathered at the event played some part in safe guarding the UK road network.  The journey continues and it will be a decade of change rather than an overnight turnaround, but new improved ways of working together are happening now and will accelerate and increase as a result of this meeting of hearts and minds.”

The 4th HTMA conference, aptly subtitled ‘A Brave New World,’ marked the launch the Highways Maintenance Efficiency Programme (HMEP) by Transport Minister Norman Baker MP.
Speaking as the key note speaker Baker said: “This is a £6 million programme designed to improve efficiencies and maximise returns on investment in highways maintenance through research and development of products for local authorities”.

“It will capitalise on and promote existing best practice and it will provide practical and deliverable solutions for local authorities through case studies, guidance and toolkits.”
Industry figures believe that if all highway authorities adopted the best practice on procurement and collaboration of some authorities, up to 25%, or £1bn, could be saved.

Baker also said a new potholes initiative would be launched. He wanted “to address the causes as well as the symptoms” to offer a “long-term solution for a long-standing problem”. Interim findings of the potholes project will be ready by October.

Facing the Future in Hard Times provided delegates with the knowledge they need to deliver efficient, high quality highways management and maintenance services in the new age of austerity.

The conference explored the industry’s hot topics and helped delegates:

• Get the latest outlook for highways maintenance and management & its role in underpinning UK plc
• Understand the challenges & opportunities for public & private sector organisations
• Hear from some of the major national & regional players on priorities for the new decade
• Analyse the current obstacles & devise possible solutions for improved service delivery performance across the UK as a whole

Bringing together expert national speakers and senior private and public sector delegates, the conference ensured attendees benefited from up-to-date guidance, challenging discussion and plenty of ideas-sharing.

For further information please contact us via
Email: info@theprfirm.co.uk
Tel: 01782 443 080

Delegates at our 3rd HTMA Conference – Sustainable Roads 2009 – said:

J Barton, Transport Scotland

K Collins, West Cheshire and Chester Council

A Solanki, Audit Commission

P Smith, Highways Agency

T Devine, Morrison Highway Maintenance