In place of Paula’s View from the Top this week, we’re pleased to share a special message on behalf of Matthew Eglinton, former Head of Local Highways Policy, Local Highways and Active Travel, Roads and Transport Group at the Department for Transport.
As many of you know, Matt has recently transitioned into a new role as Head of Blue Badge Policy, Roads Strategy Directorate at the DfT. He’s asked us to pass along a heartfelt message to the LCRIG community as he begins this exciting new chapter.
Dear all,
As you will know, I have moved on from the local highway policy brief at the Department for Transport, however I wanted to use this to say a massive thank you to the whole of the LCRIG team and the wider LCRIG community members for all the help, advice, and ongoing support that I have received over the years. I am extremely grateful, and it has been a huge help for my role in covering local highway maintenance, innovation, and resilience, supporting ministers in their work, making the case to help ensure that our highway authorities remain funded, and advocating that best practice in asset management and innovative ways of working are shared across the sector.
I started this role in July 2019 with the late, great Steve Berry OBE, a towering figure in the world of local highways who is still sadly missed, and it did not take long at all to feel extremely welcome within the sector. This was in no small part due to the support from LCRIG in those early days – especially from Susanne, Will Britain and Martin Duffy. Watching LCRIG grow over the years and with Paula, another bastion of support, now at the helm – it truly is fantastic to see how authorities are working together to showcase the ‘Best of Britain’ at the Innovation Festival (4th year this year!) and of course, Strictly Highways.
It would be remiss of me not to plug the importance of the hard work our authorities and the wider highway sector do, even when sometimes it can feel like a thankless and underappreciated task. Potholes, and the condition of our local road surfaces are one of the biggest, if not the biggest issue on the ‘political doorstep’, often coming with quite emotive and heated opinions, and I am more than aware of the challenges, fiscal and otherwise, that present in working towards a local road network fit for the future. However, it is the rest of the network – from our bridges, tunnels, culverts, to our cycleways, footways and gulleys – that also require funding and good highway asset management, and I hope that we continue to see that need recognised and reflected in the forthcoming Spending Review next week on 11th June, building on that much needed £500 million uplift at Budget last year.
I’ll still be at the Department however, now covering the Blue Badge policy brief, but I hope you know that you will continue to have my support in everything you do, championing to keep the network safe for all road users and striving to innovate across the network. Do keep in touch and continue to work with the DfT; my colleagues within the Local Highway team, and the Road Stats team are a fantastic bunch and they will continue to support where they can.
All the Best,
Matt
Thank You from Everyone at LCRIG
Matt’s passion, dedication, and collaborative spirit have left a lasting legacy, and he will always be regarded a valued friend of LCRIG.
We look forward to staying in touch and seeing all that he achieves in this next chapter.