We recently caught up with Ian Large, Head of Highway and Traffic Management Services at Blackpool Council to talk about the importance of innovation and the role emerging technologies play in enhancing highway operations.
Read Ian’s full interview below.
Q. How important is innovation to your local authority?
A. Innovation is extremely important to our organisation. We understand that embracing and encouraging innovation is essential for addressing the changing challenges and needs within our community. Innovation enables us to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our services while meeting the diverse requirements of our residents and road users. Innovative solutions help us utilise our resources effectively, streamline our processes, and introduce new practices into highway management. I am enthusiastic about innovation here in Blackpool to keep us at the forefront of technological advancements. We should constantly work on improving our infrastructure, traffic management, and overall service delivery, and innovation plays a crucial role in achieving that. It also helps us explore cutting-edge technology in relation to sustainable practices and supports environmental issues regarding sustainability and resilience. Innovation is key to how we envision the future and manage our network.
Q. What are the challenges faced by local authorities when it comes to the adoption of innovation?
A. One of the biggest challenges we face is risk aversion. When it comes to implementing new technologies or approaches, there is much concern about the potential risks and fear of failure and its potential impacts. This can make people hesitant to embrace innovative solutions. Another concern is the need for more expertise in new processes. Even with a strong team, a lack of knowledge about a new product can create significant barriers. Understanding, implementing, and managing innovative solutions can also be challenging, especially if we need the necessary resources or skills within our team.
Legacy systems and infrastructure also pose challenges, particularly regarding digital innovations due to outdated equipment. Integrating older systems with newer technologies can be complex and costly. Regulatory compliance can also hinder the adoption of innovations as they may need to align with current requirements. Additionally, public perception and acceptance can be a barrier due to fear of the unknown, which our well-informed elected members can influence. The procurement process also poses some obstacles, but the LCRIG Innovation Procurement System (IPS) has helped this. Finally, resistance to change can be challenging, as some people and organisations resist change and prefer to stick with familiar processes.
Q. What initiatives do you put in place to ease the adoption of innovation?
A. We encourage people to collaborate and discuss new products or services. We welcome any feedback when trying to make a change. We also provide training and development related to the innovation to ensure everyone has the necessary knowledge and skills, resulting in less resistance to the innovation.
Q. Can you share any innovative projects that Blackpool Council have been working on?
A. We are collaborating with a road repair company to explore a new approach to innovation that addresses hard-to-reach areas of heavily trafficked networks. For instance, working on roundabouts from a highway perspective can be pretty challenging. Repairing the road surface of a roundabout is logistically difficult, time-consuming, expensive, disruptive, and environmentally taxing. However, the new process promises to be much faster, allowing us to work at night to minimise disruption and leverage existing infrastructure.
Using a waste product, we’ve also used an innovative cold-lay surface material and a binder course material developed by Liverpool John Moores University.
Additionally, we are considering a concrete product made with seashells, which replaces 20% of the aggregate with crushed shells, resulting in a porous concrete with various potential applications. We plan to conduct tests in park areas to assess this material for vehicle hardstanding areas, hoping to support this innovative approach further.
Q. What strategies do you employ to prioritise innovation in highways maintenance?
A. Our priorities are determined by the condition of the network and our commitment to the current green agenda. There is a strong local and governmental push to reduce carbon emissions, making it imperative for us to align with this initiative. We have been assessing the overall carbon costs of our surface treatments and asset management strategy, which encompasses trees and sustainable drainage. A key aspect of our strategy is the close collaboration with our internal green infrastructure team, which has been instrumental in incorporating these assets into our highway schemes. This collaborative approach not only enhances our efficiency but also paves the way for future improvements. As a result, we prioritise our network based on condition data and proactively address issues earlier than we did in the past. This enables us to carry out smaller, less disruptive treatments earlier in the life cycle of a road or highway (Project Amber), saving time, reducing disruption, costs, and carbon emissions. This is our network prioritisation strategy, which is based on our asset management approach.
Q. How important is the role of LCRIG in driving change within the sector?
A. It’s key. Data and knowledge are only good if used and shared; the LCRIG platform allows us to do this. LCRIG makes sharing knowledge, information or experience easier with peers or like-minded individuals. Before LCRIG, it was very, very difficult to do this. Providing a collaborative link between people is what LCRIG is exceptionally good at, along with supporting the adoption of innovations. LCRIG is also good at representation on local and national levels as an advocate for the Highway industry. It’s excellent to be able to ask LCRIG a question that will get to the DfT quickly. LCRIG is also doing a great deal of work to promote training and development within the sector and is a community, providing a valuable networking and collaboration platform. It’s a supportive community.
Q. What role do you believe emerging technologies and innovations play in enhancing highway operations?
A. I believe that emerging technologies and good innovation significantly impact highway operations. They improve digital network management, data collection, data analysis, and the implementation of treatments based on gathered data. However, it is crucial to use technology correctly. Often, we collect data and information but fail to utilise it effectively. Good technology allows us to gather and use data effectively and make better decisions.
Q. What are your goals and priorities for the adoption and implementation of innovation within the Council?
A. My approach to innovation is integrating it into our regular business operations rather than treating it as something separate. I believe that innovation should be a fundamental aspect of our processes. I am committed to continually seeking out and implementing new processes. Standing still means not moving forward, and failing to innovate means falling behind. Therefore, I aim to fully embrace innovation and collaboration in Blackpool to improve our service delivery. Our goals include uniting our community to enhance their understanding of innovations while ensuring our staff have the necessary skills to thrive in this new, innovative landscape. Another of my goals is to provide feedback to the industry, DfT, and Government regarding changes required to influence regulations and standards to keep pace with innovation.
Q. What do you get up to when you’re not the Chair of the LCRIG Innovation Board and Head of Highway and Traffic Management Services at Blackpool Council?
A. One of my favourite things is spending quality time with my family. I have two children – a 25-year-old daughter and a 22-year-old son who uses a wheelchair. I recently became a grandad as well. We love being outdoors, especially with our dog, enjoying the fresh air together. Another passion of mine is riding my motorbike. I often take it out for a spin on the weekends, and my friends and I even go on week-long trips across Europe, exploring places like Spain and France on our bikes. I also really enjoy running, and so does my wife. We often run together to stay active and enjoy each other’s company. We love keeping busy and staying fit as a family.