Highways Agency

Introduction

The Highways Agency is responsible for the construction and maintenance of our trunk road and motorway network; the strategic network of roads that are used to move people and freight around England. Construction and maintenance includes the building of new roads and structures (bridges, tunnels etc.) and the continual repair and replacement of the worn components of existing features, whether they are the road surface, lights, road markings, signs, or traffic lights etc. The Agency is also responsible for the operation of the highways, which means the day to day provision of a transport network for road users. This document reports on the Agency's current approach in relation to sustainable construction and maintenance.

The Agency, as a Government agency of the Department for Transport, has an important role in driving the Sustainability agenda.

The trunk road network currently carries 34% of all traffic and 67% of all freight in England. The replacement value is approximately £65 billion and it comprises:

• 9380 kilometres of motorway and trunk road;
• 16000 structures;
• communication equipment (emergency telephones and message signs);
• cycleways and footways;
• environmental features (planted areas and verges);
• safety and boundary fences;
• traffic control systems;
• street lighting;
• signs and road markings.

To construct and maintain this huge asset the Agency employs specialist contractors. In fact, 95% of the Agency's work is procured from external suppliers. If the Agency is to drive the sustainability agenda forward it must work with these partners in delivering Sustainable Construction.

There are several drivers for the Agency's progress towards more sustainable construction:

• Building A Better Quality of Life - which sets out the UK Government's strategy and commitment to sustainable construction, and the actions that can be undertaken by industry to support this.
• The Clients Charter - which sets out the minimum standards the client community expect in construction procurement, their aspirations and programme for improvement.
• Constructing excellence - which aims to improve the performance of the construction industry and its clients, through guidance, partnership, demonstration of best practice and the setting of targets.
• The Office of Government Commerce Sustainability Action Plan - which sets out recommended actions and a timetable of implementation for improvement of supplier performance.

These drivers have led the Agency to develop a more sustainable approach to its construction and maintenance operations. This document demonstrates why the Agency is looking to improve its performance, what it is working to achieve, how it is improving and what its plans are in the following key areas:

• Management of Natural Resources - designing for minimum waste, lean construction, recycling and reuse.
• Reducing Energy Consumption - minimising energy consumption during construction and use.
• Reducing Emissions - minimising noise and emissions to air, water and ground.
• Landscape, Townscape and Heritage - minimising the visual impact of the network and protecting our heritage.
• Biodiversity - protecting the habitats and species on the Agency land alongside the network.
• Respect for People - taking due consideration of the needs of the people employed through the Agency as well as those of its external stakeholders, such as local communities.
• Partnerships to Better Business - taking action to deliver better value services through partnership with our suppliers.

The Agency welcomes your feedback on this document. If you have any comments or suggestions for its improvement please contact us at sustainability@highways.gsi.gov.uk.

'The capacity for continuance into the long term future'