Buckinghamshire Highways Asset Management Strategy 2021

BH’s Highway Infrastructure Asset Management (HIAM) Policy describes the principles adopted to achieve the authority’s strategic objectives.

This HIAM Strategy sets out how the policy is to be achieved by taking a systematic approach to deliver the objectives most efficiently and effectively over the long term. It covers all maintenance activities and informs decision making in the Business Planning Process and in the Medium-Term Financial Plan budget setting. It will support continuous improvement of Asset Management in the organisation.

The HIAM Strategy is one of the key strategic documents relating to the council’s highway services. These services are delivered by Ringway Jacobs represented in Buckinghamshire by Buckinghamshire Highways (BH) that consists of Ringway Jacobs staff and a commissioning client consisting of the council’s staff.

This document describes how BH undertakes a risk-based approach based on an understanding of the highway network, the potential risks and an appreciation of their likely significance.

BH will ensure it meets its Statutory Obligations as set out in the Highways Act. BH will also will ensure that it complies with national best practice and guidance provided by Highways Maintenance Efficiency Programme (HMEP) document ‘Highway Infrastructure Asset Management’ and the National Code of Practice ‘Well-managed Highway Infrastructure’.

The scope of this Strategy is for the development of detailed asset management planning and implementation for the following 5 main highway infrastructure asset groups:

• Carriageways
• Structures
• Footways
• ITS
• Street Lighting

The scope of this strategy does not include day to day operational management and reactive maintenance of the highway network which is set out in the Highway Services Policy.

The certified asset management approach outlined in this strategy enables the organisation, its technology and its processes, to adapt to change. It embeds a continuous improvement approach to highway asset management including how best practice, national and international developments are taken into consideration. Other Assets may be added to the scope of this document as data or resource becomes available, in addition Drainage Assets have a separate strategy.

Delivery of this Strategy will be monitored and periodically reviewed. Implementation action plans will be adopted to drive improvements to support the delivery of this Strategy. The action plans are the responsibility of the Highway Infrastructure Asset Manager. The governance and review processes defined within this document will ensure these priorities are considered in each action that is taken.

Successful delivery of this strategy will ensure that BH’s Asset Management Objectives will be met, therefore contributing towards achieving the council’s Strategic Aims of:

• strengthening our communities
• protecting the vulnerable
• improving our environment
• increasing prosperity