Shropshire Council and Ringway win at the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation Awards
Shropshire Council, together with Ringway Shropshire, won the CIHT/Costain Effective Partnerships Award in this year’s Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation Awards.
This specific award recognises the achievements and added value that can result from effective partnership relationships in the development and/or delivery of solutions. Ringway and Shropshire Council won the award for their ‘Hedge to Hedge’ service delivery.
Feedback from communities revealed a perception that the traditional method of undertaking council highways and streetscene activities in Shropshire was an inefficient way of working, as they witnessed multiple visits to the same street and different gangs dealing with similar issues at different times.
This resulted in Shropshire Council and Ringway working in partnership to review processes and develop a new approach to service delivery called ‘Hedge to Hedge’ to improve efficiency and value.
Commenting on the ‘Hedge to Hedge’ service delivery, the award judges said:
“The partnership has reshaped and significantly improved delivery of the highway services in Shropshire. The joint work and transparency of the review led to co-location of staff, joining up of traditional highway maintenance and streetscene services and to new working practices. Measurable outcomes include very significant savings in cost and time in basic services, which the judges considered to be exemplary in the current financial climate. There is ample scope to apply the approach to other place-based services and the partnership is well-placed for further achievement.”
Keith Barrow, Leader of Shropshire Council, said:
“The work done by the council and Ringway here is brilliant. The new scheme is a different, much more effective and much more efficient way of working and everyone involved should be proud of their achievements – from designing the concept to actually getting out there and doing it, the work has been fantastic.”
Claire Wild, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for highways and transport, added:
“It is amazing to have such hard work recognised like this. A huge thanks to Steve Brown [highways and streetscene, Shropshire Council] and Sebastien Magat [Hub: Programme and Project Manager, Ringway] for the huge amount of work they have put in. I’m very proud of them. Everyone involved in this successful project has done a great job.”
Chris Waldie, Ringway Shropshire Divisional Manager, said:
“We are obviously delighted to win this award and are proud of the demonstrable achievements of this project. The contract between Shropshire Council and Ringway has only been in operation since April 2012 and this project sets a precedent for future similar partnering initiatives. We plan to keep building on what we have achieved so far and widen this approach to other elements of our work, such as street lighting, vehicle maintenance and larger scale ground maintenance.”
The CIHT award winners were announced at the annual awards ceremony which took place on 11 June 2014 at the Royal Courts of Justice in London.
Further information:
Part of one of the leading European providers of transport and infrastructure services, and ultimately part of VINCI SA, Eurovia in the UK incorporates: Ringway Infrastructure Services Limited – a leader in operating, managing and maintaining long-term local authority highway contracts; Ringway Hounslow Highways Limited – operating company on the London Borough of Hounslow Highways PFI; Ringway Island Roads Limited – operating company on the Isle of Wight Highways PFI; Eurovia Infrastructure Limited – the road contracting, specialist surfacing contracting and asphalt production businesses; and Euromark GB Limited – road marking contracting and thermoplastic production. Eurovia UK Limited is a major shareholder in: BEAR Scotland Limited – Scottish integrated road service company; Eurosigns UK Limited – road traffic sign manufacturing and sales; North Kent Roadstone Limited – asphalt production joint venture; Ringway Jacobs Limited – integrated highway services from network and asset management, design and inspection through to all types of reactive, cyclical and planned maintenance with major capital projects involving civil engineering, structures, road construction and reconstruction; South West Highways Limited – highway services, fleet services, civil and building project management; and Wight Building Materials Limited – asphalt, aggregate and ready-mix concrete production joint venture.
