The Local Council Roads Innovation Group (LCRIG) recently caught up with Councillor Paula Burdess, Cabinet Member for Highways & Traffic Management at LCRIG Member, Blackpool Council, to find out more about some of the initiatives the authority is implementing to help promote the importance of highways.
Read Paula’s full interview below.
Q. During your opening presentation at Strictly Highways 2023, you said that highways are our greatest asset which are often forgotten about. Could you elaborate on this?
A. Highways is one of the most important portfolios but is often overlooked and taken for granted. Consider, when there is any serious damage to the infrastructure anywhere, the impact on the economy is devastating, and limits business continuity significantly. I think that Highways is one of those things that people take for granted until they’re damaged or there’s traffic disruption, so it’s important to raise the profile of Highways projects and make sure that our messaging hits home; showing continuous improvement, repair and innovation. A lot of the recent innovations are very exciting, but people don’t know that we’re using them, or the benefits to the environment they’re achieving, therefore we are making sure that we’re getting that messaging out there. We are involving comms a lot more in the work that we’re doing, and that means there is more publicity around our schemes and their outcomes. In addition to this, we are getting more of the public involved in the consultation and decision-making process, so that have more ownership of the outcomes. It’s also important to raise awareness of why the schemes are being undertaken, such as road closures necessary to update pipework and improve access to utilities and internet connections. Highways works have been low profile in the past but we are bringing the work more into public consciousness to elevate its perceived value.
Q. How important is LCRIG, and events such as Strictly Highways, for driving change within the sector?
A. It’s an important vehicle for collaborative working with partners, as the event allows you to network and view new products and services in a concentrated way, overcoming the logistical problems of pinning people down to separate meetings. It’s an opportunity to introduce new products and innovations to decision makers in the sector and potentially inspires new ideas and improvements.
Q. How much importance is put on innovation and collaboration within your authority, and in what ways can it enable change?
A. They are a priority for us, especially when finding solutions for problems, such as resurfacing. Under the Project Amber scheme, we are using a new system of locally sourced, mastic highways repairs to correct perished surfaces which prolongs the life of the roads at far lower cost than traditional tarmac, whilst significantly reducing the carbon footprint of the schemes. And most recently, I was involved in a meeting with a team from UCLAN (the University of Central Lancashire) who have developed a shell concrete mix, using locally sourced shells, which are broken down and blended into a sustainable concrete mix, that is also pervious and also helps to address waterlogging caused by slow drainage. We are always on the lookout for innovative solutions like that, and even more so with local suppliers. We will seek to collaborate with organisations and charities who are offering solutions that not only solve the problem, but also meet our budgets.
Q. What changes would you like to see to inspire more women to join the industry?
A. Ideally, we want to see the gender balance shifting to see more women represented in every role. The gender balance is quite good in our authority, but we’d always like to see more young women coming forward into the industry, for example through apprenticeships and graduate schemes. It begins with more encouragement for young women pursuing education in these technical fields; so that if they are good enough, strong enough and interested enough; as many are; they will be encouraged to enter the sector. And it is underpinned by equal pay for equal work so that young women will be offered the same opportunities to progress as far as they wish to go and receive parity in remuneration. So, in the coming years, I’m hoping to see more young women join the industry.
Q. How much importance is placed on the safety of pedestrians and cyclists in Blackpool, and what measurements are implemented to ensure this?
A. We put high importance on the safety of all road users, and certainly around pedestrians and cyclists. One of the measurements that we’re pushing forward is safer streets around schools. We have worked closely with the headteachers of 33 schools to make the areas around the schools safer, to help change the behaviour of motorists, and to encourage active travel. There is also an initiative in place to encourage families to use alternative forms of transport, such as walking, cycling or public transport, rather than using their cars. We’re also looking into connecting more of Blackpool through cycle lanes, as we’d like to make it possible for more people to use more alternative forms of transportation safely. This will require us to look at the whole network of cycle lanes and the safety around them, to then build more efficient safety features and separate cyclists and motorists.
Q. Finally, what sites would you recommend someone visiting Blackpool for the first time to see?
A. Number one would always be Blackpool Tower, the Tower Ballroom and the Circus, and there are also lots of attractions both in and around the Tower, such as the new BACKLOT cinema with the second biggest IMAX screen in Europe, the Sea Life Centre, Madame Tussauds, and the Blackpool Dungeons. There’s plenty of new attractions for little ones as well, such as the Gruffalo Experience and Peter Rabbit – ‘Explore & Play’, which are lovely days out and incredibly popular. We have 7 miles of golden coastline, so if it’s a good day, put your sun lotion on and get out onto the beach. We have 3 Piers, where there’s so much to entertain you: with a wide selection of bars and eateries, amusement arcades and rides. If you’re a thrill-seeker, we’ve got some of the best and fastest roller coasters in Europe at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, and if your taste is more reserved the rides in Nickelodeon Land will not disappoint! We have so many restaurants of every nationality and many fabulous craft pubs, bars, night clubs and to be found in the Centre, including Funny Girls, The Galleon Bar, Dirty Blondes and Bootleg Social, where you can enjoy live music or entertainment on many nights during the week. We also have the new Showtime Museum, which is a multi-media experience charting the entertainment history of Blackpool. For the culture vultures, you can take in shows at the Winter Gardens, The Grand, the Old Electric and the Globe Theatre and not to forget North Pier, and there are several art galleries, with the Grundy Art Gallery showing many high profile exhibitions in collaboration with the TATE, and HIVE Arts showcasing up and coming local artists. There is so much to do in Blackpool, and we’ll be happy to show you around!
You can watch Paula’s presentation at Strictly Highways 2023 on demand here.