A new report by Lichfields titled The Road Ahead: The Future Role of National Highways in Economic Growth and Housing Delivery, explores how National Highways can align with government policies
According to the report, policies that National Highways could help with include the New Towns programme and the ‘modern economy’ agenda.
National Highways could support regional growth
The report states that, with the changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), National Highways can play a wider role in supporting growth through co-operation with local authorities, developers, and government bodies.
Co-operation could yield results in facilitating infrastructure investments and supporting high-growth sectors, including logistics, advanced manufacturing, and renewable energy.
The company has previously participated in the Growth and Housing Fund, facilitating quality developments that were dependent on Strategic Road Network (SRN) access.
More regional devolution deals are soon to be proposed, Lichfields analysis says that National Highways could be crucial in working in similar programmes.
As well as housing, collaboration could be crucial to logistics, manufacturing, and renewable energy. SRN is a business factor of fundamental importance for these industries, and can benefit from infrastructure investments and better management of existing networks. The company has a real opportunity to stimulate productivity levels, add economic value, build communities for the future, says the report.
National Highways can “be a key enabler of the UK’s economic and place-focused ambitions”
Richard Coburn, Senior Director at Lichfields, said: “By making its remit more explicitly focused on growth on top of its existing Licence responsibilities, National Highways can adapt to ensure it joins the top-table to be a key enabler of the UK’s economic and place-focused ambitions.
“This approach would allow National Highways to work proactively to accelerate housing delivery and commercial developments, alongside stakeholders across the country, aligned with the government’s ‘Get Britain Moving’ agenda.
“By empowering National Highways with a more expansive mandate and organising itself accordingly, the company should become a core growth partner. This will put it on par with other major infrastructure bodies to ensure better vision-led transport solutions to support the delivery of well-connected, sustainable New Towns and clusters of modern industries targeted in the Government’s emerging Industrial Strategy.”
National Highways investing in data-based approaches
The company has been working in conjunction with Amey to develop the Digital Lab, researching the use of data-based approaches for workflows.
Data-based approaches are increasing in popularity for construction approaches, with the Scottish government recently publishing a report detailing how using data in innovative ways can enhance place-making decisions, working in Glasgow and other major regions of the country.
Last year, National Highways also adopted geospatial technology for quicker responses on the road network through real-time views.
At the time, Davin Crowley-Sweet, chief data officer at National Highways, said: “Our vision for the digital roads of the future will incorporate new capabilities, such as digital twins, predictive planning, single view of assets and connected autonomous vehicles. Each of these initiatives will require a common, trusted representation of the network to be successful.”
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The company’s stated future vision could complement Lichfields’ proposed collaboration and alignment with government housing and industrial policy.
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