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Chapter 1 - Setting the direction
The Highways Agency's network
The Highways Agency is responsible for maintaining, operating and improving a strategic road network of about 9,400km (5,841 miles - this assumes that 445 km of the existing network is de-trunked by 31 March 2002) of motorways and trunk roads in England ('the network'). This network carries a third of all road traffic and two-thirds of all freight traffic, totalling around 153 billion kilometres travelled each year (Source: Transport Statistics Great Britain 2001 - 10 year average between 1990 and 2000). The Agency is an Executive Agency of the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR).
The Agency's priorities are to:
- Continue to maintain the network in good condition to ensure that it is safe and available for use
- Maximise performance from the existing network
- Improve the network where necessary
The network operator role
The Agency's role as a network operator is to act both as an asset manager and a traffic manager. This enables the Agency to deliver a service that supports the DTLR objective of providing a reliable, safe and integrated transport system that respects the environment.
Asset manager
The strategic road network is the single largest Government asset (Source: H M Treasury National Asset Register July 2001), currently valued at an estimated £60 billion . The asset manager role ensures that this significant asset is maintained to a sufficient level to ensure it is safe and available for use and where necessary is improved through the delivery of new road schemes. In carrying out this role, the Agency manages its road works to minimise congestion, mitigate the impact of the network on the natural and built environment and ensure value for money.
Traffic manager
As a traffic manager, the Agency is looking to influence and actively manage the use of the network. To influence the use of the network, the Agency is developing ways to provide up-to-date information directly to road users to help them make informed choices about their journeys. It will mean working with other transport sectors to ensure further transport integration and, where appropriate, to encourage the use of other modes of transport. This role also includes the Agency's contribution to the local and regional planning process to secure an effective balance between land use planning and pressures on the network.
To actively manage the use of the network, the Agency will take a more proactive approach to incident management, continue to manage its road works to minimise inconvenience to road users and use new techniques to control access and speed. This role will require the strengthening of working relationships with partners such as the police.
The 10 Year Plan
The Agency's remit has widened from delivering outputs to delivering outcomes, as set out in the Government's 10 Year Plan for transport, published in July 2000. As a network operator, the Agency has a major part to play in delivering the plan and contributing to the outcomes of easing congestion, providing effective maintenance, safer travel, better information, smarter roads, quieter roads and delivering in partnership (Taken from Strategic Roads 2010: Highways Agency 10 Year National Roads Strategy, published October 2000. Milestones from this document are listed in Annex A4.). The Agency will begin to deliver these outcomes through the programmes described in this Business Plan. To achieve this, the Agency will harness partnerships, consult and communicate with our customers and implement the results from its extensive programme of research and development. It will also continue to make use of the latest scientific, technological and engineering developments.
The Agency's contribution to Europe
The Agency is recognised as a world leader in the roads sector, representing the Government's interests in Europe and building good working relationships with other road administrations. The Agency is a member of the Western European Road Directors group. These activities help to promote the value of UK knowledge, expertise and practices across Europe. The Agency represents the UK on a number of EU committees producing road product standards and supports joint EU-sponsored research programmes.
The Agency also provides advice on proposals for new EU Directives, which are likely to affect all highway authorities. These include the 2001 Directive on strategic environmental appraisal and the proposed Directive on the mapping of ambient noise. These are aimed at delivering better service to drivers whilst meeting noise mitigation objectives, through sharing best practice and introducing harmonised standards where these will benefit road users. Examples include the development of European guidance on the operation of tunnels, harmonisation of signing and the development of new systems for giving information to drivers, either via car radios, by roadside equipment, or in the future by using in-car systems.
Resources
The Government's spending review 2000 gave the Agency a projected increase in programme budgets from £1.53 billion in 2001/02 to £1.68 billion in 2002/03. The next spending review, due to be concluded early in the summer of 2002, will agree funding through to 2005/06.
How are the Agency's targets set?
Challenging but achievable targets are agreed with central DTLR and ministers to ensure that the Agency is held to account for its performance in a number of key areas. In future, targets will increasingly move away from monitoring delivery of outputs (e.g. schemes) to monitoring improvements in service and delivery of the 10 Year Plan outcomes. Performance against these targets is reported to Parliament in the Agency's Annual Report.
