This week, a new ground-breaking highways maintenance contract has gone live.
Warwickshire County Council and partners at Coventry City Council and Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council awarded the contract for their highways maintenance to Balfour Beatty Living Places.
The seven-year contract, will run until May 2033 with an option to extend by a further three years based on performance and was awarded after a competitive selection process to achieve the best value service on offer in the market.
The contract will maintain and improve highway networks, including roads, footways, structures and associated assets such as gulleys and culverts.
Innovation is at the heart of the delivery with innovative use of AI being used to thoroughly and efficiently review the state of roads and to diagnose what work needs to be done. This will mean that the data that drives the programme of repairs and sets priorities is fully informed and up to date. The information hub where the data is analysed can then triage repair crews to where they are most needed.
The customer is also at the heart of the contract. Road users also a partner and their input in reporting potholes will be built upon to make real time information available – when it will be repaired – available to them.
Cllr Jennifer Warren, Warwickshire's portfolio holder for transport and planning, said:
“It is so exciting, after the intense scrutiny and rigorous process that went into the awarding of this contract, to see it go live and for the people of Warwickshire to start to benefit from its improvements.
“The changes were shaped by feedback that we have received from the public, and we were also able to keep the overall cost of the contract highly competitive. In fact, the same amount of work that we carried out last year could be delivered for £1m less in the new contract, unlocking the potential to increase the amount we do for the same spend.
“With efficiency and value for money uppermost, the new contract will focus on prevention rather than cure. For example works that stop potholes forming in the first place rather than trying to rectify them when it’s too late will be key.
“Sharing the contract with other local authorities, we are confident that it represents the very best value we can get from our investment, one that will bring the best maintenance of our roads for years to come.”
Steve Helliwell, Managing Director of Balfour Beatty Living Places, said: “We’re pleased to see the Warwickshire Highways Maintenance contract now underway, marking an important milestone as we move from planning into full delivery across the county.
“Working closely with Warwickshire County Council, Coventry City Council and Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, our focus is on delivering reliable, high-quality services that will make a real difference for residents and all who use Warwickshire’s roads.”