## Annual Assessment Of Highways England'S Performance: Summary | 1 Office Of Rail And Road Annual Assessment Of Highways England'S Performance: Summary April 2015 - March 2016

Background Highways England manages the strategic road network - England's motorways and main A roads. 

The government has set the outcomes and improvements that Highways England must deliver from April 2015 to March 2020 - the first road period. Over these five years, the company is responsible for delivering over £11bn of public investment into the network. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) independently monitors Highways England's performance against these targets. Our report on Highways England's first year of operation covers: 

 How Highways England has performed against its 
eight key outcomes 

 How it is managing the network and delivering 
improvements

 How Highways England is delivering its licence 
requirements

## The Strategic Road Network

95% of English residents and 
99% of vehicles use the strategic road network at least once a year. 

In 2015, **89.7 billion** vehicle miles were driven on the network, of which 74% were cars and 25%

vans and lorries.

growth coming from light goods vehicles, which increased by 61% 
in the same period. The Department for Transport's national transport model predicts that, between 2010 
and 2040, traffic on the network

## Key Messages 1

Highways England has made a good start to delivery in the first road period. It has met its performance targets and delivered its investment commitments in 2015-16.

## 2

Highways England now needs to implement robust plans to make sure that it delivers targets in the rest of the road period, including improving safety performance, customer service and environmental mitigations.

## 3

There is an opportunity for Highways England to improve its management of risks to network investment delivery over the road period. In particular, there is more to do in planning and delivering investment efficiently and in demonstrating that network condition is being managed sustainably.

It accounts for just 2% of road length in England but carries a **third** of traffic, including **two thirds** of lorry traffic.

Operational performance Highways England has met its performance requirements for 2015-16. It has exceeded its targets for maintaining network availability, clearing motorway incidents, and maintaining the quality of the road surface. It has also progressed its environmental strategies and plans, including publishing its biodiversity action plan. On some other measures, the company does not have annual targets. For example, the company must make the network safer, including reducing the number of people killed and seriously injured on the network by 40% by the end of 2020. Data for 2015 show a reduction in the number of killed and seriously injured compared to the previous year, but the company needs to focus on this area if it is going to meet its 2020 target. Highways England must achieve 90% user satisfaction by March 2017. This year, it achieved 89.3% and although this is an improvement on the previous year, it needs to carefully plan how it will hit its 90% target.

Capital investment Highways England must deliver £11.4bn of capital investment by 2020. It delivered its major scheme commitments for 2015-16, including opening five schemes to traffic, and starting construction of eight further schemes, one more than planned. However, on schemes that have opened for traffic, expenditure for the year was £4m (4%) higher than estimated. This was primarily down to undertaking additional renewal work as part of the schemes. Looking forward, ORR is concerned that Highways England has not fully set out how it is managing risks to delivery of capital investment in future years, although the company is working to improve its plans. Highways England needs to set clear baselines for scope, cost and timings of schemes, and explain how the portfolio will be delivered within available funding.

Highways England must carry out work to maintain the network in good condition. The company has more to do to demonstrate that it is planning and delivering this work efficiently and effectively. It must also improve its asset management information, for example for drainage. The company has also been given designated funds for carrying out environmental, cycling, safety, integration, innovation, air quality and growth and housing improvement works. In 2015-16, the company has carried out preparatory work on identifying and delivering improvements using these funds. 

Financial performance Highways England spent £3.0bn in 2015-16, including £1.9bn on its capital programme. This was in line with its funding. The company has a target to deliver £1.2bn of efficiency savings by March 2020. It has made progress in its first year, achieving its internal efficiency target of £33m. Efficiencies are expected to rise as delivery of the capital programme increases during the road period.

## Priorities For 2016-17 In 2016-17, Highways England Needs To:

 Set out clear plans for delivery of future performance 

targets

 Improve its plans for capital investment delivery, and 
its capability for portfolio, programme and project management

 Improve data quality, including data about its assets 
and its efficiency

 Improve transparency of its plans and performance

 Take forward its planning for the next road period 
and develop evidence-based route strategies

## Performance Specification: Delivery Of Key Performance Indicators

| Outcome                              | KPI and target   | Performance in 2015-16   | RAG                    |
|--------------------------------------|------------------|--------------------------|------------------------|
| Improvement in 2015, but more        |                  |                          |                        |
| needed to deliver 2020 target        |                  |                          |                        |
| Making the network                   |                  |                          |                        |
| safer                                |                  |                          |                        |
| Killed and seriously injured         |                  |                          |                        |
| Target: 40% reduction by end         |                  |                          |                        |
| of 2020                              |                  |                          |                        |
| 89.3% satisfaction                   | Amber            | Amber                    | Road user satisfaction |
| Target: 90% by March 2017            |                  |                          |                        |
| Improving user                       |                  |                          |                        |
| satisfaction                         |                  |                          |                        |
| 98.4% availability                   | Green            | Green                    | Network availability   |
| Target: 97% lane availability in any |                  |                          |                        |
| one rolling year                     |                  |                          |                        |
| Supporting the                       |                  |                          |                        |
| smooth flow of traffic               |                  |                          |                        |
| 86% cleared within one hour          | Green            | Green                    | Incident clearance     |
| Target: 85% of motorway              |                  |                          |                        |
| incidents cleared within one hour    |                  |                          |                        |
| 8.9 seconds delay per vehicle        |                  |                          |                        |
| mile                                 |                  |                          |                        |
| Encouraging                          |                  |                          |                        |
| economic growth                      |                  |                          |                        |
| Average delay (seconds per           |                  |                          |                        |
| vehicle mile)                        |                  |                          |                        |
| Target: No target set                |                  |                          |                        |
| 48 delivered                         | Amber            | Amber                    |                        |
| Noise important areas mitigated      |                  |                          |                        |
| Target: Mitigate at least 1,150      |                  |                          |                        |
| noise important areas by             |                  |                          |                        |
| March 2020                           |                  |                          |                        |
| Delivering better                    |                  |                          |                        |
| environmental                        |                  |                          |                        |
| outcomes                             |                  |                          |                        |
| Action plan published in             |                  |                          |                        |
| June 2015                            |                  |                          |                        |
| Improved biodiversity                |                  |                          |                        |
| Target: Publish biodiversity         |                  |                          |                        |
| action plan                          |                  |                          |                        |
| 204 delivered                        | Amber            | Amber                    |                        |
| Number of new and upgraded           |                  |                          |                        |
| crossings                            |                  |                          |                        |
| Target: No target set                |                  |                          |                        |
| Helping cyclists,                    |                  |                          |                        |
| walkers and other                    |                  |                          |                        |
| vulnerable users                     |                  |                          |                        |
| Met internal target of £33m          | Green            | Amber                    |                        |
| Capital expenditure savings          |                  |                          |                        |
| Target: Total savings of at least    |                  |                          |                        |
| £1.212bn on capital expenditure      |                  |                          |                        |
| by March 2020                        |                  |                          |                        |
| Achieving real                       |                  |                          |                        |
| efficiency                           |                  |                          |                        |
| Progress of work, relative to        |                  |                          |                        |
| Delivery Plan                        |                  |                          |                        |
| Target: No target set                |                  |                          |                        |
| Delivery in 2015-16 largely to       |                  |                          |                        |
| plan, risks to delivery later in the |                  |                          |                        |
| road period                          |                  |                          |                        |
| 95.4% requires no further            |                  |                          |                        |
| investigation                        |                  |                          |                        |
| Keeping the network                  |                  |                          |                        |
| in good condition                    |                  |                          |                        |
| Pavement condition                   |                  |                          |                        |
| Target: 95% of pavement              |                  |                          |                        |
| requiring no further investigation   |                  |                          |                        |
| for possible maintenance             |                  |                          |                        |
RAG 
2015-16
Road Period 1
Amber
Amber
Amber
Amber
Green
Green
Green
Amber
Green
Green

## Major Scheme Delivery In 2015-16

| Major scheme                        | Committed date   |
|-------------------------------------|------------------|
| Major schemes starting construction |                  |
| 1                                   |                  |
| A160/A180                           |                  |
| Immingham                           |                  |
| 2015-16, Q1                         | 2015-16, Q1      |
| 2                                   |                  |
| A21 Tonbridge to                    |                  |
| Pembury                             |                  |
| 2015-16, Q1                         | 2015-16, Q1      |
| 3                                   |                  |
| M1 J13 - J19                        |                  |
| 2015-16, Q3                         | 2015-16, Q3      |
| 4                                   |                  |
| M5 J4a - J6                         |                  |
| 2015-16, Q3                         | 2015-16, Q3      |
| 5                                   |                  |
| M6 J16 - J19                        |                  |
| 2015-16, Q3                         | 2015-16, Q3      |
| 6                                   |                  |
| A50 Uttoxeter                       |                  |
| 2015-16, Q3                         | 2015-16, Q3      |
| 7                                   |                  |
| Ahead of schedule                   |                  |
| M5 Junctions                        |                  |
| 5 to 7                              |                  |
| 2015-16, Q3                         |                  |
| 2015-16, Q2                         |                  |
| 8                                   |                  |
| Ahead of schedule                   |                  |
| A43 Abthorpe                        |                  |
| junction                            |                  |
| Late 2016                           |                  |
| 2015-16, Q4                         |                  |
| Major schemes opened for traffic    |                  |
| 9                                   |                  |
| A14 Kettering                       |                  |
| bypass widening                     |                  |
| 2015-16, Q1                         | 2015-16, Q1      |
| 10                                  |                  |
| A453 widening                       |                  |
| 2015-16, Q2                         | 2015-16, Q2      |
| 11                                  |                  |
| M1 J28 - J31                        |                  |
| 2015-16, Q4                         | 2015-16, Q4      |
| 12                                  |                  |
| M6 J10a - J13                       |                  |
| 2015-16, Q3                         | 2015-16, Q4      |
| M1 J39 - J42                        |                  |
| 2015-16, Q3                         | 2015-16, Q3      |
| 13                                  |                  |

## Highways England'S Main Asset Types - Asset Health Road Structures

e.g. bridges and tunnels Average condition of 
84.3% (good)
e.g. road surface and markings
95.4%

requires no further investigation - above 95% target

## Technology

e.g. variable message signs Roadside technology 
98.7% available

## Key Geotechnical Assets

e.g. earthworks and embankments
96.6% are at low risk

## Drainage

e.g. pipes and gullies Condition information only held for

27% of assets