close
Steve Norris

Highways planning in England is at a crossroads and a historic turning point.

For once the opportunities really are as great as the challenges and if you want to have a hand in shaping the future, now is the moment to make your voice heard, says firmer transport minister Steve Norris ahead of next week's Highways UK conference.

Having worked at the highest levels in both the public and private transport sectors, I am in no doubt that the recent shake up that has transformed the Highways Agency into Highways England is the start of a new era.

It’s not just a badge change, it’s a sea change. We’re not just going to see better investment, more money, but – crucially – guaranteed, consistent investment over time.

"I remain resolutely optimistic. We have the expertise, the ideas, the energy. What we lacked was the governmental commitment to road infrastructure and the clear investment plan that we are now seeing put into place."

Efficient long term infrastructure planning will become a reality, which, as I know from experience, was almost impossible under the traditional treasury arrangements. It will unlock huge amounts of creative energy.  In other words: sanity at last.

The timing of next week's Highways UK confeence, for whcih I co-chair of the advisory board, is almost too good to be true. There really could not be a better moment because there are so many changes taking place and those changes are profound. This is an extraordinary, timely opportunity to get to get our voices heard and questions answered by ministers, top drawer experts and real decision makers.’

The list of changes is dizzying, ranging from the fashionable excitements of driverless cars and other autonomous vehicles to questioning what we mean by a highways network in the first place, perhaps even redefining our whole relationship with roads - the last great free utility.

And sometimes the solution to one challenge just brings another in its wake. Massive advances in fuel efficiency together with a new generation of ‘serious’ electric vehicles for example, could mean that dangerous emissions from motor vehicles are about to fall off a cliff.

"Efficient long term infrastructure planning will become a reality, which, as I know from experience, was almost impossible under the traditional treasury arrangements."

Good news, of course, but they will also drag fuel duties off the cliff with them leading to an uncomfortable prospect for any Chancellor.  When fuel duty pays for schools and hospitals as well as roads tough decisions will simply have to be taken.

But I remain resolutely optimistic. We have the expertise, the ideas, the energy. What we lacked was the governmental commitment to road infrastructure and the clear investment plan that we are now seeing put into place. When we bring all of that together, we can make something that will benefit user of our cities, towns and roads for decades to come.

We’ve got the headlines, now’s the time to start writing the story.

Steve Norris is former transport minster and co-chair of the Highways UK advisory board.

Norris will expand on this message at next week's HighwaysUK conference at ExCel London, 25-26 November.

If you would like to contact Antony Oliver about this, or any other story, please email antony.oliver@infrastructure-intelligence.com.