HA pledges better council relations

The Highways Agency has pledged closer working relationships with local authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships to  help deliver economic growth.

Local Government Association and LEP representatives met with HA and DfT officials earlier this month because of what LGA transport and economy board chair councillor Peter Box said was widespread concern about the difficulty working with the HA at a local level “and the consequent blockage to growth”.

“The key outcome from the meeting was that the HA acknowledged that it needed to be able to converse and have genuine engagement with councils and LEPs about their growth plans, rather than only consulting them on their plans for the strategic road network,” LGA officials reported this week.

Box said: “The HA have agreed to have new strategic level conversations with sub-regions and local leaders to see how the HA can play a much more proactive role on growth.”

HA chief executive Graham Dalton this week explains the Agency’s work on land-use planning in an interview with LTT. See linked article.