1. Antony Firth
Highways England

2. Better journeys on better roads Yorkshire and the North East

3. The strategic road network
4,300 miles of motorway and major A-roads
2% of England’s road network
4 million people drive on the network every day
The strategic road network
4,300 miles of motorways and major A roads in England
The length of the SRN represents only around 2% of the total length of England’s road network, but it carries roughly one third of the total motor vehicle traffic in England
1 billion tonnes of freight transported each year
4 million people drive on the network every day
What are the issues the SRN faces?
The network is struggling to cope in face of increasing traffic and customers demanding better information
Delays to journeys constrain business growth and stop-start funding makes it difficult to plan
Carbon emissions and noise impact significantly on local communities

4. Introducing Highways England
We are Highways England – the new public company responsible for the maintenance, modernisation and operation of the Strategic Road Network in England
We were formed in April 2015.
We are a public service company, operating a public network – owned by government, but operating with commercial freedom.
We’re monitored by the Office of Rail & Road Regulation and Transport Focus
What does having this new company mean?
We have a big brief - to deliver the biggest road investment programme for a generation.
We have a 5-year investment plan which is set out in our Delivery Plan - £11 billion of capital investment in five years (roads period one)
More certainty of funding & flexibility which means we can improve the way that we work As a government-owned company we will move away from the constraints of being an executive agency. The move towards long term funding certainty, away from stop start decision making and greater commercial flexibility will enable us to respond positively to customer demands and speed up delivery. This will ensure we work alongside our suppliers to gear up to delivering the considerable uplift in investment together with realising the level of efficiencies required.

5. Roads reform and strategic road investment
The government published it’s Road Investment Strategy in December last year. It sets out a long term programme for motorways and major roads. It sets out a strategic vision, funding plan and performance specification.
We published a response to the RIS in December through our Strategic Business Plan. This sets out how we intend to delier the investment plan and performance requirements set out in the RIS over the first road period.
In March we published our Delivery Plan which sets out in detail how we will deliver our strategic outcomes and measure success against the performance specification.

6. Our vision and strategy
Supporting economic growth
Safe and serviceable network
More free flowing network
Improved environment
More accessible and integrated network
What we will deliver
The increased investment in the SRN over the next five years will deliver substantial benefits for road users, communities and the nation as a whole.
We have set out five strategic outcomes in our strategic business plan, which form the basis of our delivery plan:
The following slides give more details about each of these outcome areas.

7. Supporting economic growth
Delivering significant growth in investment
112 major improvements
£7.7bn of capital investment
£4 of benefits to the economy for every £1 spent
Reducing average delay
Route Strategies
At the heart of our plans for delivering the RIS for RP1 is a drive to support and encourage economic growth across England and the wider UK. We will do this by modernising the network to relieve congestion and reduce delays, helping businesses to grow, encouraging investment and creating jobs, as well as opening up new areas for investment.
Investment in the strategic road network has progressively grown over the past few years. Investment in major improvements has grown from around £450 million in 2012/13 to more than £750 million this year.
When our programme completes at the end of RP1 we will have delivered more than 300 miles of additional lanes, including junction, road widening and 286 lane miles of smart motorways. Our agreed programme of major improvements for the next five years totals around £7 billion. This investment is expected to enable £4 of benefit for every £1 spent.
We will be focussing on reducing average delay times. Many factors influence this, some of which aren’t within our control, but we’ll be seeking to reduce delays as far as possible.
Underpinning the way in which we plan and coordinate future interventions on the network, fro an operational, maintenance and modernisation perspective, is our route strategies. Working closely with Local Enterprise Partnerships and other local partners and stakeholders we use route strategies to identify current and future constraints to economic growth that the performance of the SRN causes, and identify how future delivery and investment plans might address them.
We have completed our first set of Route Strategies. Looking forward to RP2 – route strategies will be fundamental, from a evidence-gathering perspective. We are currently developing an approach to them for agreement with the SofS, and we will be engaging with key stakeholders regionally and nationally (info from Julie Smith, this is the current status as of Aug 2015, but this may progress during Sept/Oct/Nov, so if your session is later in the schedule then need to check the latest from Julie)
Delivering significant growth in investment
£7.7bn of capital investment to improve the network with £4 of benefits to the economy for every £1 spent
112 major improvements, includes 280 extra miles of capacity through further upgrades to smart motorways
Take forward recommendations from joint working with partners into our longer term investment planning (to be published by end 2016)
Reporting average delay (lost time/vehicle/mile)
Although not able to control all factors, always acting in a way to minimise delay

8. A safe and serviceable network
Investment to improve the network
More than 90% of travel on the network will be on roads with a safety rating of EuroRAP 3*
Not just our infrastructure - also individual behaviour and vehicle technology
Maintaining pavement condition to at least 95% without need for further investigation
£3.7bn renewing and maintaining the network
Reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured on the network by 40% (by end 2020)
England’s strategic road network is currently one of the safest in the world. The HA always put safety at the core of its work, and as Highways England we will build on this legacy, working towards the goal of bringing the number of people killed or seriously injured on the network as close as possible to zero by 2020.
Investment to improve the network will make a significant contribution
Through the investment and wholesale modernisation of the network we will ensure that by the end of 2020 more than 90% of travel on the network will be on roads with a safety rating of EuroRAP 3* (or equivalent).
Not just our infrastructure - also individual behaviour and vehicle technology - more detailed plan in August 2015
Maintaining pavement condition to at least 95% without need for further investigation
Over the next five years we will investme more than £3.7bn renewing and maintaining the network – to keep it in good condition. This will include an ambitious resurfacing programme. We will be taking a longer term and more integrated view of modernisation and maintenance, based on better asset knowledge

9. More free flowing network
At least 97% of the network available to traffic
Organise road works to minimise disruption
Improving the overall response to incidents
Improving information to help people make better decisions on their journeys
Operational strategy - to be published by December 2015
At least 85% of all motorway incidents cleared within one hour
We aim to provide a more free flowing network, where journeys are easier, safer and more reliable & delays are less likely.
We have a challenging target for network availability - 97%
To achieve this we will:
Organise road works to minimise disruption
Improving the overall response to incidents, critical to work with our partners to achieve this
Improving information to help people make better decisions on their journeys: we’re putting in place measures to ensure the information we provide to traffic england is correct and accurae – by looking at the process which informs TE, the data inputted and how to improve its accuracy. Next year we’re planning to implement a new system (NOMS) which will make it easier for more accurate information to be inputted and validated. In the longer term we’re looking at transforming our NTIS system with the ambition of including more information on TE website such as the time after incidents when the road will return to normal
Operational strategy to be published by December 2015, setting out how we will manage demand and increase availability of the network

10. Improved environment
Delivering long term benefits to the
natural and built environment
£300m of investment specifically targeted
Mitigate from noise 1,150 important areas
Ten pilot schemes to improve air quality
Improving resilience to flooding and water quality
Biodiversity Action Plan - published
We are committed to ensuring that all activity on the network is delivered in a manner than does not harm the environment, but instead delivers long term benefits to the natural and built environment, creating a sustainable future for all.
We will deliver:
£300m of investment specifically targeted
Mitigate from noise 1,150 important areas
Ten pilot schemes to improve air quality
Improving resilience to flooding and water quality
Targeted action to improve biodiversity – now published

11. Accessible and integrated network
Integrate with other networks
Specific schemes to integrate with local road development, existing and emerging rail links, ports and airports.
Support for park and ride schemes
New and upgraded crossings to help cyclists, walkers and other users
Our ambition is that people should be able to travel across and alongside our network. We need to improve the provision for walkers, cyclists and other users.
We will:
Provide new and upgraded crossings to help cyclists, walkers and other users
Integrate with other networks:
- Specific schemes to integrate with local road development, existing and emerging rail links, ports and airports.
- Including support for park and ride schemes

12. Customer focus Up to 85 billion miles of journeys per year
Communities, road-users, stakeholders
Customer experience through roadworks trial
We will have an increased customer focus
We recognise that customers are at the heart of what we do:
Up to 85 billion miles of journeys per year
We recognise that we impact on a number of different groups and audiences and we’re looking to improve our customer service across the piece.
Currently we’re trialling a new approach to customer experience through roadworks which is based on experience from the airline sector. Trials such as these, and an increase in the capability of our workforce to manage customer issues will help us to become a more customer focussed organisation
Thee Government has rightly set us a clear target to achieve a 90% satisfaction score by 31 March 2017.

13. Key measurements
Making the network safer
At least 40% less KSIs by end of 2020
Supporting the smooth flow of traffic
97% available in any one rolling year
85% motorway incidents cleared
within 1 hour
Improving user Satisfaction
90% by 31-Mar-17 and maintain/improve
Achieving real efficiency - meet delivery plan forecasts
£1.2bn cost savings on capital expenditure
Encouraging economic growth Report time lost per vehicle per mile
Keeping the network in good condition
95% of pavement in safe/serviceable condition
Delivering better environmental outcomes
1,150 noise important areas mitigated
- Reduce net biodiversity loss annually
Helping cyclists, walkers, and other vulnerable users
Report number of new/upgraded crossings
Source: DfT RIS Dec 2014
This is a summary of the key measures which we’ll be working to

14. Our regional challenges
The North East
28% single carriageway
55% dual carriageway
16% motorway
Yorkshire
12% single carriageway
24% dual carriageway
64% motorway
Our investment is within the context of the challenges specific to this region.
We have a series of very important north-south and east-west routes connecting our customers with major cities, ports and airports across the region
Our eastern trunk roads also provide key links from the city regions to tourist destinations and are important economic factors for the east coast of the region.
Our southern trans-pennine routes suffer from significant delay problems throughout the year due to capacity and winter weather impacts.
And traffic flows are increasing.
Traffic flows on the M62 between junctions 26 and 30 are in excess of 60,000 vehicles per day.
Information up to the end of March 2015 shows that we have higher than average levels of vehicle delay to manage in the NE (10.1 seconds per vehicle mile being second only to the M25 area).  Annual average speeds are 4.3mph less than the national average, the NE having the slowest part of the national network. 
This is coupled with ageing infrastructure at a number of key junctions like M62/M1 Lofthouse Interchange.
Maintaining and improving these routes while continuing to sustain very high levels of traffic flow to support these cities is a daily challenge. In addition, the impact on air quality and noise from this traffic on communities near these busy routes is an increasing concern.
We need to continue working to bring forward safety and other improvements to reduce the number of road casualties, connect communities and better serve vulnerable road users, like pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders on routes like the A63, A64 and A628.

15. Major schemes in construction
Investment
(1) A1 Coal House to Metro Centre
£61 million
(2) A1 Leeming to Barton
£386 million
(6) A160/A180 widening & junction improvements
£88 million
Investment in the strategic road network across England has progressively grown over the past few years
We’re extremely proud that we’ve been able to deliver this investment and customers are now experiencing the benefits.
In April 2015 we started a five year investment period – called Road Period 1. This spans the period 2015/16 to 2019/20 – and during this period we have plans to sustain our current level of regional investment, by investing £1.4 billion in the region’s strategic road network. That means starting or completing 14 major road schemes.
Our schemes which are currently in construction:
A1 Coal House to Metrocentre.
Will be open to traffic in Spring We’re widening the A1 and building and building a new 0.33 mile parallel link road next to the A1 (between Lobley Hill & Gateshead Quays). This link road will provide a route for local traffic.
(2) A1 Leeming to Barton. This is our biggest investment in the region. We’re replacing the existing dual carriageway with a new three lane motorway. We’re also building a new local access road alongside the motorway. We’re building new junctions at Catterick and an improved junction at Scotch Corner.
(3) A160/A180 Port of Immingham Improvements. We’re providing better access to the Port of Immingham through our scheme on the A160 between the junction with the A180. Our improvements stretch along approx 5km of road and include improved interchanges and roundabouts, a new road bridge and upgrading a section of single carriageway to dual carriageway.
Looking further ahead our intent is to invest around £3 billion in the region’s roads over this and the next Road Period – though this is of course subject to further confirmation. 26 major road schemes have been identified to be delivered, started, or development started, during this period.

16. Smart motorways in construction
Scheme
Investment
(1) M1 – Jct 32-25A
£94 - £133 million
(2) M1 – Jct 39-42
£120 million
There are two smart motorway schemes under construction in the region. Smart motorways help relieve congestion by using technology to vary speed limits. They also allow the hard shoulder to be fully converted to a running lane to create additional capacity. They deliver these benefits at a significantly lower cost than conventional motorway widening and with less impact on the environment during construction.
Together these schemes will add 41 lane miles to the network.
We already have evidence of the benefits that a smart motorway scheme can bring. The first smart motorway scheme opened to traffic on the M42 motorway in Recent analysis of the data gathered since opening has found that journey time reliability improved by 22 per cent and reduced emissions by up to 10 per cent due to traffic flowing more smoothly. In addition, personal injury accidents have reduced by more than half.

17. Schemes due to start by 2019/20
Investment
(3) A19/A1058 Coast Road
c. £100 million
(4) A19 Testos
c. £70 million
(5) A63 Castle Street
c. £170 million
(7) A19 Down Hill Lane
c. £40 million
(8) A19 Norton to Wynyard
£140 - £220 million
(9) A1 and A19 technology
c. £140 million
(10) M1 Junction 45
c. £ 11 million
(11) M62/M606 Chain Bar
c. £120 - £200 million
(12) M621 Jct 1-7
c. £55 million
M62 Jct smart motorway
£100- £250 million
Nine of our schemes aren’t yet in construction, but we’re planning to start them before the end of this road period – by 2019/20. The vast majority of these schemes are junction improvements, but there is also some technology investment due for the A1 and A19 as well as one smart motorway scheme. This smart motorway scheme is part of a £1.5 billion national investment to build 10 smart motorways. Our long term goal is to have a smart motorway spine linking London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds.

18. Developing Solutions
Feasibility
A1 North of Newcastle
A1 Newcastle – Gateshead Western Bypass
A628 Transpennie
Construction to start beyond 2020
M1/M62 Lofthouse interchange
A64 Hopgrove roundabout
A1 Redhouse to Darrington and A1(M) Doncaster Bypass
M1 Jct 35a - 39
Last year we carried out a number of feasibility studies – three of which were in the Y&NE region
These studies examined some of the most notorious and long-standing congestion hotspots in the country
In the next five years we will take forward and develop solutions to the issues investigated by these studies
This is great news for the region
A1 North of Newcastle
A1 North of Ellingham
A1 Morpeth to Ellingham
A1 Newcastle – Gateshead Western Bypass
A1 Scotswood to North Brunton
A1 Birtley to Coal House widening
A628 Transpennie
A61 Dualling
A628 Climbing lanes

19. Maintaining the network
200 lane miles of new road surface
150 lane miles of road markings
12,000 metres of vehicular barriers
15,000 metres of drainage
16 technology renewals and upgrades
Nobody should be harmed when travelling or working on our roads. We believe that safety comes first and we are determined to continue driving up safety standards across our network. We need to keep the network in good condition which is why we’ll be investing more than £600 million in the region across a five year period (205/16 – 2019/20). This equates to around £130 million per year and this slide gives you a flavour of what that will include for this year (2015/16)
We are working towards a much better forward-plan of maintenance and small improvement works. Previously we’ve had annual programmes, but we’re developing a longer term view.
Minimising impact of our planned work on road users (Vanessa this has been agreed with Rich Marshall & Chris H)
We take customer satisfaction very seriously, and the challenging target we have been given around this by government of a 90% satisfaction rating.
We will continue to carry out roadworks wherever possible when they have least impact on customers. In fact we typically carry out 80% of our routine maintenance work at night.
We are currently planning our 2016/17 and 17/18 programmes of smaller improvements and maintenance work – taking into account the 97% lane availability target. This means we’re looking for opportunities to deliver larger schemes where we will carry out a variety of improvement and maintenance work. This will contribute to minimising the need to return to the same section of the network to carry out further works at a later date.
An example scheme:
A major piece of work started in June 2015 at Junction 26 of the M62 which will see an extra lane added to the Chain Bar roundabout where the M62 motorway meets the M606 for Bradford. Once complete, drivers will benefit from the additional fourth lane which will help to reduce congestion and queuing on the M62 westbound exit slip road. Improvements are also being made to the existing pedestrian and cycling facilities as part of the scheme.

20. Our environmental work
Living Landscapes Group
Bat roosting assessments
Protecting water vole habitat
Balancing ponds and their ecological potential
Living landscapes
We’re part of the Living Landscapes Group which brings together our supply chain and partner organisations in the natural environment sector. The group is working together to agree at a strategic level what work needs to be done to deliver improved and increasing biodiversity across the strategic road network.   
Using GIS mapping tools we’re bringing together information about environmental designations such as SSSIs, the Wildlife Trusts Living Landscapes vision, Pollinator Strategy Beelines, and Highways England’s land holdings, to help identify the locations where that investment will have the greatest impact.  This intelligence is then used to develop our environmental future investment plan.
Bats
Each and every one of our structures on the Yorkshire network has been assessed for its potential bat roost potential. This assessment has considered factors such as crevices, nearby foraging habitat (e.g. broadleaved woodland and scrub). We use this information to inform our scheme design at the earliest stage.
Water vole
Our network in Yorkshire has a significant but fragmented water vole population within the low-lying Humberhead Levels. We manage the drainage ditches carefully so that a balance is achieved between drainage and habitat. We take a different approach to ditch clearance where ecological surveys have identified the presence of water vole.
73 kilometres of drainage ditches have been cleared in this manner since 2009.
Balancing ponds
Balancing ponds act as critical water storage areas next to the strategic road network. They can also offer optimal habitat for amphibians. We’ve assessed all 27 balancing ponds in the Yorkshire area for their ecological potential
Biodiversity and Biofuels
In February and March this year our suppliers Aone+ carried out a trial project to see how woodlands on our land holdings could be managed as a biomass resource. Four locations were selected adjacent to the M180, M621, M62 and A1(M). Felled timber was separated into firewood and timber for chipping.
Woodchip harvested: 1441 tonnes Firewood harvested: 216 tonnes Total biomass: 1657 tonnes . Area of woodland thinned by 50%: 194,067m2
Key findings
Biomass can be successfully extracted
Enhances ground flora, diversifies species composition, and releases veteran trees.
Careful selection of plots is crucial
Costs are high, especially associated with traffic management

21. Any questions?