The draft event programme for this year’s Strictly Highways event has been released, with delegates set to hear insights across four key focus areas – innovation, skills, net zero and collaboration.
The theme for this year’s event is centred around ‘Making the case for local roads’ and the four topic areas align with LCRIG’s key activities and initiatives.
Strictly Highways brings together the whole highways community, including councils, the Department for Transport (DfT), academia, industry associations, the supply chain and media. The event enables everyone to learn about new innovation and technology, share experiences, receive updates from the DfT and showcases the industry associations.
The event is taking place at Winter Gardens, Blackpool from 4th to 6th October 2022 and incorporates the DfT Special Recognition Awards on the evening of 5th October.
Day 1 of the event will start with a session focused on innovation. Highlights include a keynote presentation from Gareth Edwards, Future Strategist & Historian, London Reconnections. Gareth will provide a look into the future and help set the scene for the event.
LCRIG Infrastructure Innovation Board Chair Ian Large will then provide a showcase of some of the winners from this year’s Innovation Festival. The Department for Transport will then deliver updates on technology and road condition data.
LCRIG’s Director, Government and Strategy Paula Claytonsmith will highlight research findings on what makes innovation stick. The innovation session will then end with a panel debate entitled ‘Using behavioural change to implement innovation’.
The focus will then switch to the area of skills on the afternoon of day 1 with updates from representatives from Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, Lancashire County Council and Coventry City Council. Day 1 will conclude with a panel debate entitled ‘Why are we still talking about skills?’
On Day 2, attention turns to the subject of net zero with David Denner, Highways Technology Manager at Welsh Government set to deliver an update entitled ‘From ambition to reality’.
Other highlights include a joint presentation from Wirral Council and the Environment Agency. Simon Fox, Assistant Director – Highways & Infrastructure, Wirral Council and Steve Moore – Director of Operations, Major Projects and Programme Delivery, Environment Agency will speak about the integration of highway improvements into a coastal protection project in West Kirby.
Representatives from Reading Council and Oxfordshire CC will also deliver updates before the net zero session concludes with a panel debate entitled ‘Disrupting our way to net zero’.
The afternoon of Day 2 will be centred around collaboration, with David Porter – Director, Northern Ireland Infrastructure – scheduled to deliver a keynote presentation.
Dom Browne, Editor of Highways Magazine will deliver a presentation entitled ‘Collaboration real or hyperbole?’ and they’ll also be an update from Shaun Taylor, Head of Highways at Bristol Council, who will speak about working in collaboration to use surfacing to reduce impact.
Strictly Highways 2022 will conclude with a panel session entitled ‘Bringing innovation, skills and net zero together to deliver collaboration’.
View the draft event programme here.
LCRIG Content Director Alec Peachey said: “We have carefully curated a packed programme based on feedback from councils that will bring together key insights from local government, and others in the areas of innovation, skills, net zero, and collaboration, whilst making the case for local roads. Delegates can look forward to a diverse, engaging, and thoroughly interesting programme which promises something for everyone.”
Find out more about the event here.