Mark Macgarty – Senior Policy Adviser – Highways Maintenance, Data and Innovation, Local Transport at the Department for Transport – speaks exclusively to the Local Council Roads Innovation Group (LCRIG) about how the DfT is working with local authorities and continues to make the case for an increased, longer-term funding settlement for local transport (including local roads maintenance).
Q. What is your role within the Department for Transport and what are you responsible for?
A. “I’m a senior policy adviser in the local transport directorate, focusing on highways maintenance – particularly around aspects relating to data and innovation. At the moment I’m working on the development of a new data standard for road condition monitoring, looking at local authority responses to the sustainability element of the 2020/21 local authority self-assessment questionnaire, and working with various industry groups including LCRIG.”
Q. What’s your background and how has it helped prepare you for the role you’re doing now?
A. “Before joining DfT in December 2020 I worked for four years in WSP’s ITS team, with a focus there on working with local authorities to identify opportunities for applying innovations to local roads and places, as well as seeing how Highways England approach innovation on their network.”
Q. What are some of the main challenges you face when it comes to engaging with the sector?
A. “Breaking down silos would be a key one – there are huge opportunities for groups working across the local and strategic road networks to learn from and support each other going forward, so trying to align interest across these groups is key. Trying to more fully understand the local authority perspective is one I’ve been thinking about a bit recently in relation to road condition monitoring. How to incentivise innovative technologies and practices in local authorities is another.”
Q. What are some of the key focus areas for the DfT over the next 12 months?
A. “Decarbonisation and levelling up are huge. Also making the case for an increased, longer-term funding settlement for local transport (including local roads maintenance).”
Q. In what ways does the sector need to evolve?
A. “From a sustainability perspective – more local authorities should be focusing on taking further positive steps towards reducing carbon generation across their transport activities, including maintenance. From a broader innovation perspective – looking to adopt innovative technologies and practices across the highways network to continue demonstrating good value for money from local highways spending, ultimately supporting DfT’s case for more funding from HM Treasury.”
Q. Can regulation be a barrier to innovation?
A. “Good question! This is something I’d like to hear more from local authorities on – what’s their experience? Regulation can act as a barrier, however this may be a positive (encouraging due diligence, value for money spending etc) or negative (unnecessary bureaucracy) thing depending on the particular case. A more significant barrier may be lack of knowledge and confidence on the part of local authorities when faced with innovation – regulation might actually remove barriers in these cases by rebalancing knowledge and power away from suppliers and towards local authorities – for example, through the development of regulatory industry standards which offer transparent information, guidance, and processes for authorities to follow.”
Q. In what ways can the industry work better with local authorities and should there be a greater sharing of knowledge?
A. “Finding ways to increase knowledge within local authorities is key in enabling them to be informed, intelligent customers in areas such as decarbonisation and innovation. The onus here may be on local authorities to work together and with DfT to share knowledge and make suggestions on where knowledge gaps still exist (and how best these might be plugged).”
Q. How big a focus is the environment for the DfT and what are you doing in this area?
A. “Decarbonisation is huge, especially with COP26 in the UK later this year. This year we’re looking at the sustainability impacts of local authorities’ maintenance activities, building an initial evidence base ahead of wider measures to accelerate initiatives to encourage sustainable maintenance practices.”
Q. In terms of your role, what do you hope to achieve in the next 12 months?
A. “We are currently building a strong evidence base with input from UKRLG with a view to making a case for an increased, multi-year funding settlement for local roads (including maintenance). I think we’d all be happy to see that delivered!”
Q. How are you aiming to help councils and what would you like to hear from them?
A. “We’d like to empower local authorities such that they have the knowledge, ability, and confidence to identify the best solutions for local issues whilst also meeting Governmental priorities. Decarbonising and innovative practices are central to this. We’d like to hear more from them on their experience of the issues they face and the ability of different solutions to meet these issues – one thing I’m keen on emphasising is that we at DfT are not always aware of what local authorities know and local authorities are well-placed to plug our knowledge gaps around challenges concerning local roads maintenance. Please help us to ensure we don’t fall prey to ‘unknown unknowns’!”