This week on LinkedIn, I came across a post celebrating a promise to fill a million potholes with recent funding. Another post highlighted £500 million allocated to highways, tempered by frustration over some of the funding being withheld from councils. While I appreciate the use of big numbers and vivid language to simplify public finance for the public, it can often come across as misleading and divisive for our sector.
If you haven’t read the excellent book The Tiger That Isn’t, I highly recommend it. It’s a great lens for understanding how numbers can be used to shape narratives, sometimes in ways that mislead. Maybe it’s just the January blues making me a little more cynical, but I can’t help wondering how we’ll attract young talent to our industry if the dialogue remains so fixated on potholes.
The current landscape feels turbulent from all sides. Civil servants are under immense pressure, and the ongoing spending review is no small feat – it’s a stressful, high-stakes process. Imagine a scene from Oliver Twist, with departments pleading for “more” in front of a powerful Treasury. (I joke, but only a little.) Interestingly, there’s even talk in some circles about breaking up the Treasury. The linked article provides one perspective on this.
The reality, however, is hard to ignore. Despite everyone’s best efforts, our roads are deteriorating. Members of LCRIG (the Local Council Roads Innovation Group) are working tirelessly to support councils, bringing innovation and expertise to help manage assets in a challenging environment.
Another major undercurrent is devolution and its implications for funding. If I were to create a word cloud of the questions I’ve received or been asked recently, “devolution” would loom largest. A word of caution: anyone claiming to know exactly how this will unfold logistically is overstating their insight. Similarly, many are speculating about the Department for Transport’s (DfT) criteria for releasing the withheld 25% of funding for highways authorities. Until those requirements are published, such claims should be taken with a grain of salt.
If this week’s VfTT seems a bit sombre, it’s because the policy landscape is fraught with uncertainty. But there are rays of light:
• The new Procurement Bill, once settled, promises to simplify processes for SMEs.
• The DfT’s upcoming questions should drive another wave of positive change in the sector.
• Most importantly, the passion and resilience of our sector remain intact, even in the face of physical and metaphorical storms. Few industries can claim such enduring commitment to innovation.
Let’s hold onto that optimism as we navigate the challenges ahead. I certainly do!
Paula Claytonsmith, CEO