IN THIS ISSUE...
- From your ADEPT President
- ADEPT in the news
- ADEPT Spring Conference – book now!
- Annual Awards 2019 – entries open soon
- ADEPT/UKRLG Asset Management Board: New members wanted
- Launch of the ADEPT Leadership Development Programme
- Parliamentary Round-up: Parliamentary Monitoring, Consultation Tracker & View from Westminster
- Mobile UK Round Table
- Salix: Interest-free finance for street lighting upgrades
- Responses to reports and consultations
- DfT vacancy: Director, Local Transport
- Biodiversity net gain consultation
- Transport Knowledge Hub: Join up local transport and planning to maximise benefits of new housing investment
- Brexit update
- ADEPT meeting updates
- EVENTS: TRAFFEX 2019
- ADEPT meetings scheduled for March
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From your ADEPT President
11 February was a very exciting day – it was the launch of the ADEPT Leadership Development Programme! I was disappointed I could not be there to welcome the 14 delegates; however, the honour fell to Laura Church who is the Leadership Team sponsor for the programme. The feedback has been really good. The group next meet in March, focusing on leadership and change.
There’s been some big announcements made this month, and it’s been great to see ADEPT being name-checked (23 references in the media, see below). The National Audit Office published its Planning for New Homes report, having consulted ADEPT during drafting. Defra published four major waste consultations, all with a 12 week response period following joint lobbying by ADEPT and other local government bodies. The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee published its report on High streets and town centres in 2030 with several references made to ADEPT’s written and verbal evidence. We await publication of the Transport Committee inquiry into Local roads funding and governance, where ADEPT also provided written and verbal evidence, with interest.
By the time I write my next column, the UK is scheduled to have left the European Union. I know many of you will be involved in resilience planning, which I sincerely hope we do not have to implement. The future holds many challenges but also opportunities. I believe that ADEPT can make a positive contribution to the debate, planning and delivery of whatever comes next. We will focus on the most important strategic issues for the Association – which I will share with you at the Spring Conference on 27 June. So book your place now!
Neil Gibson
ADEPT President 2018/19
negibson@buckscc.gov.uk
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ADEPT IN THE NEWS
February was a very busy month for ADEPT media coverage, including:
We had 23 news mentions in total during February – to see full list click here.
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ADEPT SPRING CONFERENCE 2019
A reminder that bookings are now open for ADEPT's Spring Conference 2019 at One Drummond Gate, London, on Thursday 27 June.
The meeting offers an opportunity for ADEPT members to think strategically and set priorities, with some external speakers to stimulate debate. The Annual General Meeting will take place at the end of the day, with the new President being sworn in.
The day ends with the Annual Dinner and presentation of President’s Awards, which once again will be held in the magnificent Gladstone Library at One Whitehall Place. The Annual Awards will be open for entries soon – see below for this year's categories.
To book for the conference and annual dinner, please click here. |
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ADEPT ANNUAL AWARDS 2019:
ENTRIES OPEN SOON
The ADEPT Annual Awards are always a highlight of our calendar and the 2019 Awards will be open for entries shortly. This year's categories are:
- Delivering clean growth
- Digital innovation / technology
- Improving the environment, promoting health
The 2018 Awards attracted an impressive 23 entries and this year we're hoping for even more! To read more about last year's entries and winners, click here. More information on how to enter this year's Awards will be circulated shortly. |
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ADEPT / UKRLG ASSET MANAGEMENT BOARD:
NEW MEMBERS WANTED!
Asset management supports business decisions, providing longer term financial benefits and the most effective means of planning infrastructure works. It is a well-established approach to infrastructure management and is increasingly being applied successfully to all highway assets. As part of an overall highway asset management approach, the joint ADEPT/UKRLG Asset Management Board supports the continuous development and application of asset management capability. This includes promoting a whole-systems approach to the embedment and continuous development of asset management capability and enablers.
The Board is looking for representatives to extend its regional coverage – in particular from Teesside, the Humber area, Oxfordshire, Thames Valley and the South East. If you are interested and would like to find out more, please email the Chair, Garry Sterritt (garrysterritt@tfl.gov.uk).
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LAUNCH OF THE ADEPT
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
'Great group of like-minded people – can see real potential in the course and network building' – just one of the many positive feedback comments we received following the launch of the ADEPT / SOLACE Leadership Development Programme in February.
The first cohort includes representatives from both county and unitary authorities, drawn from across the country, with a good balance of gender and professional backgrounds. The first meeting focused on approaches to learning and introduced the concept of emotional intelligence. The group also looked at the proposed content for the four modules and have proposed some amendments which the trainer, Andrew Odgers, has been happy to incorporate. The next module later this month focuses on Leadership & Change, and is kindly hosted by Southend-on-Sea Borough Council.
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View from Westminster
'I’ve had many sobering thoughts in my time… It was them that started me drinking.' The wise words of Granddad from Only Fools and Horses… Perhaps the most sobering thought of all is that the UK leaves the EU this month. It’s enough to see even this committed teetotaller reaching for the Jagerbombs…
The political system is fracturing before our eyes. The Conservative Party finds itself stuck between an ERG faction prepared to bring the House down in the name of dogmatic Brexit purity and a vociferous remain faction willing to do likewise to prevent no deal. Read more
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MOBILE UK ROUND TABLE
On 13th March, colleagues from the ADEPT Digital Connectivity Working Group are meeting for an informal round table discussion with Mobile UK and other representatives from the mobile industry, including infrastructure providers and network operators. The LGA and LEP Network will also be represented.
The agenda will include key points from the Mobile UK Councils & Connectivity report published last autumn. ADEPT, the LGA and the LEP Network will have the opportunity to present key issues from our perspective. We expect the discussion to cover:
- Extent and quality of coverage
- Barriers to deployment
- Partnership models
- Best practice
- Opportunities for joint advocacy
ADEPT's Digital Connectivity Working Group meets later the same day and will pick up any immediate actions from the round table event.
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SALIX: INTEREST-FREE FINANCE FOR
STREET LIGHTING UPGRADES
ADEPT's National Street Lighting Group would like to draw attention to the Salix scheme, which provides interest-free funding for energy efficiency projects.
Support is available from Salix at a very early stage to help with the production of outline business cases to illustrate cost / benefits, and interest-free loans are available for street lighting and other energy efficiency projects that meet the required criteria.
A leaflet giving further information can be found here and a video is available on YouTube.
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RESPONSES TO REPORTS AND CONSULTATIONS
ADEPT regularly comments on proposals and reports from Government and other bodies. During February we commented on:
- The National Audit Office's 'Planning for New Homes' report (here)
- The Government's proposed new Resources and Waste Strategy (here)
- The Housing, Communities & Local Government Select Committee report on ‘High streets and town centres in 2030’ (here)
This is an important part of ADEPT's work and we continue to endeavour to raise our profile and make our voice heard on issues of concern to our members.
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 DfT VACANCYGraham Pendlebury, DfT's Director, Local Transport, is retiring later this year and applications are invited to succeed him in the post. The post is open to non-Civil Service applicants and the closing date is 10th March 2019.
Further details can be found on the ADEPT website jobs page, along with other current vacancies. ADEPT members may advertise jobs on the website free of charge; to have a vacancy listed please email secretariat@adeptnet.org.uk
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BIODIVERSITY NET GAIN
The Environment Board’s Natural Capital & Heritage Group made the following comments to Defra with regard to the consultation on biodiversity net gain:
- ADEPT supports the principle of biodiversity net gain, which is an important part of the wider agenda set out in the Government's 25 Year Environment Plan
- We have previously engaged with various initiatives to encourage the provision of green infrastructure in new developments eg Building with Nature which was originally developed by Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust
- Biodiversity net gain must be mandated; the principle is non-negotiable, there must be a requirement to deliver net gain in any development
- Biodiversity net gain on its own is too narrow and should not be separated from wider environmental gain including the quality of air, water, soil etc
- There must be an explicit link to climate change adaptation so that the gains from development are contributing to local resilience
- All new duties placed on councils to deliver BNG through the planning system must be properly assessed and fully funded. Local government environmental services generally and planning particularly have suffered big cuts in funding over the last 10 years, and the fees system does not enable councils to charge applicants the full cost of dealing with planning applications
- Implementation – must build the expertise and capacity to deliver BNG through the planning system; this will involve having access to enough ecologist expertise, and training of planning officers
Colleagues from Kent CC and Staffordshire CC provided expert advice on some of the practicalities of implementing any BNG scheme. ADEPT offered to facilitate further engagement with Defra once the formal phase of consultation has finished, perhaps by organising a workshop or seminar with members and other organisations.
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Join up local transport and planning to maximise the benefits of investment in new housing
The opportunity to maximise the economic and social benefits of public and private investment in new housing is being missed due to a disconnect between sustainable transport and the location of new development, according to a new report for the Transport Knowledge Hub.*
Siloed transport and planning decision-making, plus fragmented and short-term public sector funding, are some of the key barriers to integrating sustainable transport and housing. In the independent report written by KPMG, an 8-point plan has been identified to help overcome the barriers to integrating sustainable transport with new housing. This includes current capital and revenue funding for local transport and complementary policy areas consolidated into a longer-term, devolved budget to LAs to enable them to plan and invest on a more strategic basis; and LAs capturing a greater share of the increased land value resulting from changes in the use of land and public investment in high-quality sustainable transport in order to help raise levels of investment in sustainable transport. The report is available here.
*ADEPT is a member of the Advisory Board for the Transport Knowledge Hub.
This is an online resource aimed at giving LEPs, local authorities and other local decision-makers the tools and information to make transport investments which will facilitate inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
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Brexit update
Buckinghamshire County Council kindly share with us their monthly round-up of news and publications on Brexit. Read the latest round-up here.
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ADEPT meeting updates
The following Boards/Working Groups met in February or late January:
- South West Board (update here)
- Planning, Housing & Regeneration Board (update here)
- UKRLG/ADEPT Joint Asset Management Board (update here)
- National Traffic Managers' Forum (update here)
- National Street Lighting Group (update here)
We hope to include reports from recent meetings of the Transport Board and Energy Working Group in our next newsletter.
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External events
Below are details of an external event supported by ADEPT. To suggest events for inclusion in future newsletters please email secretariat@adeptnet.org.uk
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***ADEPT PARTNERED EVENT***
TRAFFEX 2019
NEC, Birmingham, 2-4 April
A reminder that ADEPT President Neil Gibson will be speaking at Traffex 2019, the UK's largest exhibition for those involved in the highways and traffic engineering sector. Traffex also features:
- New conceptual road feature working with leading consultants to take visitors on an interactive journey and showcase some of the latest products, concepts and services
- A ‘Trading floor’ area for exhibitors
- Central themes of collaboration and how technology is driving change on the road network
- Live hackathon – the Data Discovery Centre – using real industry data to help create solutions for challenges on the network
- Directors' briefings – a series of briefings to help local authority and private sector directors to deliver more efficient services and create better places to live and work
- Round tables – a series of invite-only round table debates reflecting the latest thinking
- TRAFFEX Community – TRAFFEX dinner, Exhibitors drinks reception and TRAFFEX themed bars around Birmingham
- Two conference theatres delivering the latest strategic high-level thinking and best practice operation delivery
Entry is free but registration is essential. For full details click here.
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