Infrastructure in the South West – is it fit for the future?

Transport in the South West will always been an area of discussion due to our peninsula nature. Just last week a signaling problem in Somerset meant significant delays for rail users between Bristol and Cornwall. 

With unpredictable weather ahead of us this winter and an uncertain future, ICE South West hosted a Transport Conference in Bristol. The aim of this successful event was to highlight what is happening within all areas of transport infrastructure and provide an opportunity for those who attended to discuss how things are moving forward.

This event used the recent State of the Nation: Transport briefing, in which ICE South West highlights the current issues affecting the region. It analyses what is currently being done to improve the situation, and what needs to be done to ensure economic stability and to guarantee the future of our transport infrastructure.

Speakers included the Chief Executive Highways Agency Graham Dalton, ICE Vice President Alan Stillwell and Huw Davies of Sustrans.

ICE South West Regional Director, Trish Johnson, said: “The government has identified poor transport infrastructure as one of the key barriers to inward investment and economic growth. Without effective transport systems we will struggle to move forward with development in the region; there are a number of vital projects in the pipeline and we need the infrastructure to support them. We also have areas where transport and access problems are holding back business and services to the detriment of communities.

She continued, “There needs to be more support into other forms of transport, the public are frustrated with congestion associated with the car but we are some way from making cycling, walking and public transport viable and attractive alternatives in many places.

The Public’s perception and views on transport issues are a vital part of the planning process. Many Councils participate in the National Highways & Transport (NHT) Network which, with its ‘NHT Survey*’ helps provide a detailed public view on the state of our transport infrastructure. Most SW Councils have participated in the NHT Survey every year since it started in 2008, meaning the region has access to strong and detailed public views to help inform policy, strategy and investment decisions.

We must have adequate investment in our mainline railway track so that we are not cut off from the rest of the UK during severe weather conditions. Our roads must be maintained to ensure that they are in good usable condition and can cope with capacity, particularly during the tourist season. There also needs to be a review of regional airports and ports to ensure we can get the best use from these important hubs. Crucially too, we need to help facilitate the success of more sustainable and healthy forms of transport that can also reduce congestion and pollution.

On Friday 24th January ICE South West will be holding a seminar titled ‘Unlocking Investment in Infrastructure’. The aim of this event is to offer a platform to all those involved in the development of the South West to understand and discuss the funding options available and how these pathways can be achieved.

To book a place please visit www.ice.org.uk/southwest

Media Contact: For more information on ICE South West, contact Charlotte Pascoe Marketing Communications Executive on 01752 766239 or charlotte.pascoe@ice.org.uk

The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) was founded in 1818 to ensure professionalism in civil engineering. It represents 80,000 qualified and student civil engineers in the UK and across the globe. ICE has long worked with the government of the day to help it to achieve its objectives, and has worked with industry to ensure that construction and civil engineering remain major contributors to the UK economy and UK exports.

*The results of the NHT Survey are fully available to the public with analysis and mapping capability - See the http://nhtsurvey2013.econtrack.co.uk/ website. The Councils that have participated in the survey are shown in the map below. Not all councils participate every year and the 2013 participants are in light blue.