A road network fit for the world’s fifth largest economy cannot be planned from London: it is time for a revolution in approach, one that is focused on meeting our needs, says Martin Tugwell

UK road planning and investment must reflect the fact that highways provide a vital piece of the infrastructure that enables economic growth, according to Martin Tugwell, Transport Programme Director for England’s Economic Heartland Strategic Alliance.

Infrastructure professionals must “radically re-imagine what we mean by a major road network” and take the view from the driver’s seat so as to deliver a network that meets the nation’s needs:  a network that is both flexible and resilient. 

‘For too long road planning has taken a view from above, a big picture approach that too often focuses on the major strategic networks that are the remit of Highways England,” MartinTugwell

Tugwell will deliver his message at the forthcoming Highways UK event at ExCel, London on 25-26 November and highlight his belief that the UK must “democratise” its transport planning, something that, he says, the new Alliance between Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire Northamptonshire, Milton Keynes, Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Luton can show the rest of the country the way forward.

‘For too long road planning has taken a view from above, a big picture approach that too often focuses on the major strategic networks that are the remit of Highways England,” he says highlighting the challenge to radically re-imagine what is meant by a major road network.

Tugwell believes the future road network must reflects the way roads are actually - a priority because the lives of local road users and wider connectivity are intertwined and success is essential for the broader economic interests of the country. 

‘When you consider that nearly every piece of cargo being brought into the UK will have to travel across the Alliance area at some point on its journey you begin to understand the huge economic significance to us and the rest of the county of getting our planning right,” he says.

"It is the veritable win-win scenario: innovation and creativity is essential if we are to have a truly integrated transport system focused on the needs of the user.” Martin Tugwell

"We are as significant to the UK’s economy as any major city conurbation; our competitors are global.  Getting our transport network right not only helps us, but helps the wider UK economy compete globally.”

In his delivery to Highways UK later this month, Tugwell will point out that the Alliance is lobbying hard to strike a deal that will see the relationship with Government redefined. Working sub-nationally it will empower the partners to deliver efficiencies through sharing of services and expertise, whilst speaking with a single, clear voice in partnership with government agencies will  address the ‘knowledge deficit’. 

Whitehall, he adds, does not have, cannot have the fine-grained local knowledge and understanding that is needed for effective planning beyond major strategic highways. - the people who have that knowledge are the people who live and use the network every day, who rely on them all the time for their businesses, for their jobs, for their family life. 

“We need to create open data platforms, ones that knock down the barriers to innovation, giving entrepreneurs access to the data they require to create solutions that are really sensitive to local needs,” he says, pointing out platforms such as taxi hailing business Uber as an example of what happens when private sector creative energy gets to grips with a public transport problem

Martin Tugwell will be speaking at the Highways UK conference at the ExCel London in November. Running on the 25-26 November. For details of the event – including the free to attend exhibition and industry briefings – please visit the Highways UK website.

“[Uber] has changed everything because it responded to what people were looking for, not what planners think they should need. You don’t need to own the problem and the solution,” he says.

“Access to information drives innovation. The public sector needs to set the framework, but we also need to harness the creative energies of the private sector to help us develop and deliver solutions. Open data can make that happen: the public sector must put its cards on the table and invite entrepreneurs to use them to deliver innovation” he adds. “It is the veritable win-win scenario: innovation and creativity is essential if we are to have a truly integrated transport system focused on the needs of the user.”

Martin Tugwell will be speaking at the Highways UK conference at the ExCel London in November. Running on the 25-26 November. For details of the event – including the free to attend exhibition and industry briefings – please visit the Highways UK website.