LCRIG Content Director Alec Peachey is conducting a series of interviews with highways professionals from councils to shine a light on some of the challenges facing local highway authorities. This week, Andy Wilde, Head of Highways at Shropshire Council, discusses the importance of creating a culture of continued improvement and the reasons why long term funding helps with planning.
Q. What is the scale of the network that your authority is responsible for?
A. 5,150km
Q. What are the biggest challenges facing you as a local authority?
A.
- Asset condition
- Funding gap
- Stakeholder expectations
- Delivery on environmental initiatives.
Q. How has your highways team adapted to the challenges brought about by Covid-19?
A. “We have had to make a series of operational changes to business as usual activities. On the whole I believe we have coped extremely well and service impact has been minimal.”
Q. How much importance is put on innovation within your authority and in what ways can it enable change?
A. “This is a very high priority. There is a dedicated service improvement group focused on innovation, which reports up to the operational and strategic level. We are trying to build a culture of continued improvement, which innovation plays a big part in.”
Q. In what ways do you collaborate with other authorities and the supply chain?
A. “We have cross-boundary agreements in place for winter service. We are active members of the MHA+ and participate in many of the working groups. The Shropshire Highways Alliance is formed from the council and its supply chain; this Alliance now has a dedicated service improvement group focused on innovation to promote innovation from both the client and the supply chain.”
Q. How important is the subject of the environment and what are you doing as an authority in this area?
A. “Again it is forms for plan for the future service model. However work is already taking place on:
A £1m programme of resurfacing which is (carbon zero).
Work on wildlife, nature and sustainability initiatives for highways verges and tree planning.”
Q. In terms of funding for roads, what works well and what needs to be improved?
A. “A long-term financial settlement enables us to plan investment, engage with stakeholders and fulfil promises. Short term awards of money, while welcome, can often force authorities into decisions they may otherwise have not made and pressurise already stretched resources.”
Q. How important is the role of LCRIG in driving change within the sector?
A. “It is vital that authorities collaborate and share best practice. LCRIG is clearly playing an important role in this.”