Buckinghamshire Highways Asset Management Strategy 2021

Buckinghamshire Highways (BH) operates an Asset Management Framework that is accredited to ISO55001; the International Standard for Asset Management. The accredited Asset Management Framework allows BH to effectively and efficiently manage Buckinghamshire Council’s 3,200km of highway assets, its most valuable asset, at £4.6bn. It provides a transport network for both commercial and private users and is critical in supporting the four main aims of Buckinghamshire Council’s Strategic Plan (2020 to 2023):

• Strengthening our communities
• Protecting the vulnerable
• Improving our environment
• Increasing prosperity

Buckinghamshire Highways (BH) translates these four aims into six Asset Management Objectives (AMOs) to provide a clear line of sight between the council’s aims and BH’s activities:

1. Provide and maintain a network that is safe to use
2. Provide a resilient network that maximises availability and accessibility for all and support the local economy and future growth
3. Engage effectively to understand the needs of our communities and to communicate service levels and performance
4. Manage highways efficiently and effectively to deliver best value and quality optimising available resources
5. Optimise the use of energy and natural resources to protect our special environment and contribute to a carbon neutral county
6. Embrace and demonstrate best practice, innovations and new technologies in service provision

Certain behaviours are required to deliver against these objectives and so two additional behavioural objectives specific to Buckinghamshire Highways employees are adopted:

1. Maintain safe working practices and the wellbeing of our employees through effective training, development and support
2. Work in trusting collaborative partnerships, both internally and externally

We want:

• our residents to live independent, fulfilling lives, within strong, healthy, inclusive and resilient communities
• to improve health and wellbeing, with a particular focus on reducing any gap in health outcomes
• to work more with town and parish councils, giving them the responsibility for services and assets where it makes sense to do so, and helping communities to help themselves

Working with partners we will:

• support people to deal with the challenges of life before they become too hard to manage, through early help and intervention
• enable healthier lifestyles for all, raising the quality of life for those most disadvantaged in our communities (AM objectives 3 and 8)
• provide the homes our growing communities need, including affordable housing, at the right stage in people’s lives
• make sport, leisure and learning opportunities available, including for more disadvantaged group
• work with local voluntary and community organisations to encourage volunteering and help our communities thrive (AM objectives 3 and 8)
• encourage residents to get involved with improving local services, for example through community boards (AM objectives 3, 4 and 8)

We want:

• children, adults and families to feel safe and supported to live independent lives
• our older, disabled and vulnerable people to receive the right support, at the right time

Working with partners, we will:

• make communities as safe as possible from crime, drugs and anti-social behaviour (AM objectives 6,7 and 8)
• support our older residents, those living with disabilities, and those who are socially isolated, to live healthy, independent and fulfilling lives
• make sure children and adults, particularly those who need more help, are healthy, safe and protected from harm (AM objectives 1,2,3 and 8)
• enable children and young people, particularly the most vulnerable, to reach their full potential in education and other aspects of their lives
• provide children in our care with the same opportunities in life as other children
• work to reduce homelessness and address its root causes
• support people, together with their families and carers, to overcome their challenges, ensuring they are resilient and can identify their own solutions (AM objectives 2,3 and 8)
• support people to improve their mental health by promoting support services, healthy lifestyles and wellbeing activities, tackling social isolation and loneliness (AM objectives 2,3 and 8)

We want:

• to address climate change, improve our environment and create economic opportunities for clean growth
• to reduce our county’s environmental impact by promoting sustainability and reducing waste
• to improve air quality and people’s health, by reducing emissions and encouraging green transport options

Working with partners, we will:

• address climate change by taking wide-ranging actions now to reduce our carbon emissions, from planting trees to environmentally-focused planning (AM objectives 3,4,5,6 and 8)
• protect and enhance our high-quality environment, including our Green Belt, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and Public Rights of Way (AM objectives 3,5 and 8)
• maintain and improve our green spaces, woodlands and country parks so they remain attractive destinations that enhance our quality of life
• encourage and support shifts towards environmentally-friendly transport, providing electric charging points, cycling infrastructure etc. (AM objectives 2,3,4,5,6 and 8)
• reduce waste, tackle waste crime, and increase re-use and recycling (AM objectives 3,4,5 and 7)
• promote well-designed homes that are energy efficient and environmentally friendly
• reduce risks from floods and ensure communities are resilient to flooding (AM objectives 3,4,6,7 and 8)

We want:

• to encourage sustainable economic growth, working with our partners to maximise opportunities and boost productivity
• to continue to attract high quality jobs and investment in skills, innovation and connectivity, keeping Buckinghamshire one of the best places to do business
• growth to benefit both new and existing communities, preserving the character of our environment while delivering everything we need to prosper

Working with partners, we will:

• develop skills and foster lifelong learning, with a focus on the education and skills that enable people to be successful in their chosen career
• focus on helping all our pupils reach their full potential, narrowing the achievement gap, and ensuring all our schools are excellent
• support a thriving business economy, particularly at the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) level, that competes effectively nationally and globally (AM objectives 2,3,4,6,7 and 8)
• improve connectivity and tackle congestion through investments in our roads, transport and digital infrastructure (all 8 AM objectives)
• maximise available funding to regenerate and improve our more deprived areas, town centres and high streets, including Aylesbury Garden Town and High Wycombe town centre (AM objectives 1,2,6,7 and 8)
• maximise opportunities from our unique location in the Oxford to Cambridge Arc and close to London and Heathrow (AM objectives 2,3,4,5,6,7 and 8)
• foster the right conditions for innovation in business and technology, for example supporting organisations to trial and market new technologies (AM objectives 2,3,4,5,6 and 8)
• promote tourism, culture and the heritage of Buckinghamshire