HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE TOPIC GROUP
FRIDAY 17TH AND FRIDAY 24TH JUNE 2011
SCRUTINY OF HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE IN HERTFORDSHIRE
Expert Witnesses
Members will hear from a number of expert witnesses during the first day of the scrutiny, giving evidence on a range of topics.
Some are part of the current Hertfordshire Highways organisation and some are external witnesses who have kindly agreed to give an external perspective.
This document summarises the background and credentials of these witnesses so that Members of the Topic Group can appreciate why these people have been asked to give evidence.
The speakers are presented in the order in which they are scheduled to appear:
· Chris Allen-Smith – Hertfordshire Highways (HCC)
· Lila Tachtsi – Atkins
· Steve Spender – Hampshire County Council
· Wayne Hatcher – Opus International Consultants
· Martin Jaques – Hertfordshire Highways (HCC)
· Andy Turner – Hertfordshire Highways (Amey Lafarge)
· Peter Simpson – Hertfordshire Highways (HCC)
Chris Allen-Smith, Service Manager (Asset Management & Maintenance),
Hertfordshire Highways
Chris is a Chartered Engineer and a Member of the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation; has an Honours degree in Civil Engineering and a Diploma in Management Studies.
Chris has spent the majority of his career in the maintenance and management of highways with a variety of local authorities, both working on strategic programmes and at the ‘coal face’ delivering schemes and services to a given area.
Since the creation of Hertfordshire Highways in 2002 he has had a strategic role developing Hertfordshire’s maintenance strategies and programmes; managing and developing the Asset Management Plan; promoting the Asset Management philosophy and producing and coordinating the annual Integrated Works Programme and Forward Works Programme. His team now manages Hertfordshire’s programmes of structural maintenance schemes from ‘cradle to grave’ starting with asset management based strategies, developing them into programmes of work and then delivering those works on the ground.
Chris gave evidence to the original HM Treasury/CIPFA study on the subject of the asset management approach to asset valuation, which helped to build the case for the development of the new Transport Infrastructure Assets Code. He was a founder member of the Highway Asset Management Financial Information Group (HAMFIG), which drafted the code, contributing to several sections of the code and talking over as chair of HAMFIG in March 2010. He is also a member of the Roads Board Asset Management Group and the Roads Board Advisory Group.
Lila Tachtsi, Head of Technology, Highways and Transportation, Atkins
Lila Tachtsi has almost 20 years post degree experience in highway asset management and engineering both in the UK and overseas. She worked at the University of Birmingham for 10 years on various aspects of developing and implementing road maintenance management systems around the world, including Sierra Leone, Poland, Australia, Greece and Malaysia.
In 2003, Lila joined Atkins and gained extensive experience in providing asset management advice and support to various local authority clients. Lila has worked on the development of Scanner, the asset valuation guidance document, the revision of the Code of Practice for Highway Maintenance and led the national review of TAMPs in England. At the same time, Lila has developed and delivered asset management training modules on behalf of the World Bank and the International Road Federation, through the University of Birmingham. Her more recent work includes advising authorities on how to deal with damage caused by floods and other emergencies, on the behalf of the Department for Transport, supporting CIPFA on regional workshops on highways asset management related issues and leading on asset management in the new UKPMS and Scanner support contracts, as well as the UKPMS functionality review.
Lila has also supported UKRLG in the work they carried out for the Secretary of State to review lessons learnt from the severe weather events of winter 2008/09 and leads the development of complementary guidance to Well-maintained Highways. Lila was the Project Director for the Development of the Code of Practice for the Management of Electronic Traffic Equipment, and the review of Design Guidance for local authorities. Over the last five years, she has worked with more than 15 local authorities in the UK and Ireland in developing and implementing asset management policies and practices. Lila is currently working with all strategic road authorities in the UK advising on asset valuation and its role on managing the asset, as well as with the Irish National Road Authority advising on the implementation of asset management and the use of appropriate systems. She is also leading the asset management implementation support contract for the Department for Transport.
In Atkins, Lila is the Head of Technology for highway asset management and leads the strategic advice team of the technical consultancy business. As a result of her work at national level, she often presents in national conferences and publishes in the technical press.
Steve Spender, Highway Manager HQ (Client), Hampshire County Highways
An Incorporated Engineer with over 20 years civil engineering experience predominately in highway maintenance and design, but more recently in Network and Asset Management, Steve is currently serving as President of the Institute of Highway Engineers (IHE).
Having worked for a number of local authorities in the South east of the UK Steve also spent two years working for a National Contractor before joining Winchester City Council as Head of Engineering Services in 2002. He joined Hampshire County Council in 2005, initially in a network management role, but now leads on the development and implementation of the authority’s Highway Asset Management plan, helping to embed asset management principles and practices in the delivery of the authority’s services.
Steve is the current chairman of the South East Service Improvement Group (SESIG) asset management forum, a member of Highway Asset Management Financial Information Group (HAMFIG) that developed the guidance document on asset valuation, Chairman of the national Footway Cycle Track Management Group and a member of UK Roads Board.
Wayne Hatcher (Transportation) Asset Management Sector Leader UK
Opus International Consultants (UK) Ltd
Wayne Hatcher is Chartered Professional Engineer (New Zealand) with over 20 years experience in the Local Government highways sector in the UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. He has a Bachelor of Engineering degree, Master of Technology degree specialising on pavement engineering and is a Member of the Institute of Professional Engineers New Zealand.
For over 15 years Wayne has specialised in the development and application of decision support tools to assist with identifying effective pavement renewal schemes that contribute to the objectives of an agency.
Wayne is recognised internationally for his skills, particularly in the application of pavement management theory to day-to-day pavement management problems. Wayne has been working with Hertfordshire County Council for seven years developing and enhancing the process to ensure alignment with current objectives, condition data and budgetary constraints.
Martin Jaques, Performance and Development Manager,
Hertfordshire Highways
Martin is a Chartered Engineer and a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers; he has a BSc and a Diploma in Management Studies. Martin has worked for Hertfordshire County Council for 21 years. A specialist bridge engineer by training, he became increasingly involved in the development and management of contracts, playing an important role in putting together the current generation of Hertfordshire Highways contracts.
In recent years, Martin has been heavily involved in the Herts Highways efficiency programme, ensuring that the current generation of contracts deliver increased efficiency and contribute fully to HCC’s efficiencies agenda.
Although the efficiencies work continues unabated, Martin is currently also very busy with the next generation of highways contracts – ensuring that the new generation of contracts are ready for October 2012 and that they build on the points learned through Hertfordshire Highways and continue to deliver services efficiently and effectively.
Andy Turner, Principal Operations Manager, Hertfordshire Highways
Andy is the Principal Operations Manager for AmeyLafarge working on the Hertfordshire Highways Contract responsible for the planning and delivery of the Integrated Works Programme. He has a team of 40 direct staff/operatives supported by various supply chain partners. Andy is a Member of the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation.
Andy has been working in the industry for 15 years, starting on a major £250m motorway construction project delivering engineering services. He has been involved in various aspects of Highway Construction/Maintenance from both Consultant and Contractor roles. These roles include Highway Inspector, Design Engineer, Traffic Safety Officer, Winter Maintenance Officer and Principal Contractor. He has been engaged on the Hertfordshire Contract since 2001 seeing the transition to Hertfordshire Highways, initially with Mouchel before moving to AmeyLafarge in 2004.
Peter Simpson, Maintenance Manager, Hertfordshire Highways
Peter has an Honours degree in Civil Engineering and over 24 years experience in the construction industry. Peter has spent the majority of his career in the maintenance, improvement and management of highways & traffic within the local government sector. Peter joined Hertfordshire Highways in 2003 and was appointed District Manager for Broxbourne in 2007 and Maintenance Manager in 2009. His current role includes managing the countywide routine and operational maintenance programmes encompassing the contractor-directed Cat 1 emergency response service, the Cat 2 service and the Cat 5 routine & cyclical service ranging from gully cleaning, street lighting and grass cutting (overseeing District Agency Agreements) to the Baldock tunnel.
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