Road protesters immobilise SHARE construction plant at Twyford Down AND CARE ‘Customer First’ is the latest buzz phrase doing the rounds in major projects. Maybe it should be implemented first in infrastructure planning. Jackie Whitelaw reports.

Customer groups campaigner for Campaign for of major infrastructure, if the ultimate Better Transport Chris Todd. customer – the public – feels it has First KEY FACTS “Not once has there been public not been consulted early enough, that discussion on whether there should it has not been offered alternatives 47,000 actually be a tunnel at Stonehenge and that it has had no involvement ere’s a tale of two or perhaps a sensible alternative in the development of the idea, it tunnels. One is Number of scheme that moved the trunk traffic will kick back. And the feeling that wanted by local responses to away,” says former highway engineer infrastructure is being done to them, people but is not and one-time mayor of local town not for them, will grow. being offered; another one highway Amesbury Andy Rhind-Tutt. There are countless other is being driven project in “The trunk element of the road examples, not least the UK’s biggest forward, but with mixed local 2016 could be re-routed to support the current infrastructure project, High Hresponse and significant national and south Wiltshire economy as well Speed 2, where the intended end international opposition. Both are as the West Country, with the road game has already been re-written attracting approbation because of a £250M unlocking daily gridlock on the A36, at least three times in a bid to quell perceived lack of consultation. A338 and A30,” he adds. public opposition. In February, plans for the A5036 Estimated What is being demonstrated here is This matters particularly right Port of Liverpool Access Road were cost of the that, however laudable the end game now. In the summer the National kicked into judicial review following controversial Infrastructure Commission (NIC) will an objection by Sefton Council which come out with its first assessment accused Highways England of failing Port of of the nation’s future infrastructure to consult on a tunnel option for a Liverpool Highways needs. No-one knows yet what it £250M road that was planned through will include (except perhaps its new Rimrose Valley country park. Access Road England needs chairman, past ICE president Sir The second is at Stonehenge John Armitt), but power stations, where proposals to dig into the to review the way reservoirs, railways, roads and archaeologically rich landscape of airport runways could well be Britain’s greatest ancient asset and a it consults on road at the forefront of the public’s World Heritage site to boot to create consciousness following its tunnel portals are causing uproar. schemes to ensure that publication. “We think Highways England needs “ And the impression that the to review the way it consults on road a full range of options country operates a “we know best, schemes to ensure that a full range it’s good for you and don’t worry your of options is included,” says local is included heads” approach to infrastructure

32 NEW CIVIL ENGINEER | APRIL 2018 Public engagement must happen early and provide opportunity to “influence decisions

understand the process. Road investment strategies, rail enhancement delivery plans, water industry asset management plans, and so on provide more detail but consultations do not really engage the general public, however hard project promoters may try. It is not until the individual projects that will deliver national strategy arrive almost fully-formed for public consultation that communities really notice what is going on. By then it is too late to have the debate about whether a scheme should be a road or a railway, or whether it should go north or go south rather than through, say, a World Heritage Site. It is true that there are very lengthy public consultations before projects apply for planning permission and planning is unlikely to be the best there is a six month examination way to get the population behind the WHAT IS CUSTOMER FIRST? by the Planning Inspectorate once commission’s ambition. applications have been made The commission itself is conscious where voices for and against can be of the need to bring the public with it heard. The Planning Inspectorate in its deliberations. Being customer-first believes it can. then makes recommendations to As Armitt said at the ICE last means making decisions “Regulators and clients the relevant secretary of state. But September: “Across the sector, we based on who your need to set up new increasingly there are arguments that all need to do more to consult and customers are as human programmes in a way the public – the ultimate customer – listen to a wide range of views to beings, not just data that prioritises the end feels like it is being involved too late ensure we identify where the needs points, says Carlos user, firmly embedding to make a difference. are, and to secure the support of the Dominguez, president of customer outcomes into “Consultations are vital to a public as one of the country’s biggest social media management operating models,” he project’s success, but are fixed infrastructure investors.” company Sprinklr. says. periods in a programme,” says Martin The big problem appears to be “For example, water McCrink, a director of specialist when and how that consultation takes There are now companies regulator Ofwat demands communications and engagement place. Does it need to be much, much that will offer a that operators orientate consultancy Copper. earlier and more open and with more “Putting the Customer their entire business plans “Our proprietary research shows active engagement? First” accreditation around customer-focused when the public is presented with “The processes through which mark, and that too is objectives: service, price, an individual project, it feels it has major infrastructure projects in gaining popularity with resilience and innovation.” missed out on the first chapters of the the UK gain planning permission organisations such as But more must be done story including the need; the sectors can contribute to local feelings of Mersey Rail and Capita to communicate in clear that require investment; the benefit to antagonism and unfairness which among those seeking and language, he says. the country and benefit to where they leads to opposition,” says think receiving the plaudit. “Put simply, our sector live and work,” says McCrink. tank Institute for Government’s But can the concept can do more to educate “This leads to an investment- infrastructure lead Nick Davies. be genuinely applied to customers about the benefit disconnect that can result in National Policy Statements, against infrastructure planning? benefits of infrastructure people feeling that individual projects which all schemes considered to be Turner & Townsend investment. happen ‘to them’ rather than ‘for Nationally Significant Infrastructure head of infrastructure “We need to translate them’,” he adds. Projects are judged, do go out for south & national the technical work into Davies also believes more and consultation but are necessarily commercial services meaningful messages to earlier public involvement would help vague, he says, and more for the David Whysall customers,” he says. schemes gain acceptance and head professional organisations that off expensive opposition later in the

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What we did to Twyford Down was outrageous. It is the worst piece of civil “engineering I have ever seen in my life process. “The government has tried to streamline the consultation process with the result that it often builds up trouble,” he observes. “Local input often comes too late in the process to be part of a constructive dialogue about available options and if people feel it is unfair and their voices are not heard they will seek other ways to get their opinions noticed.” Certainly the promoter of another of the UK major road projects, the Lower Thames Crossing, would Hampshire, which has links to pre- Stonehenge: decision making processes of major argue that public involvement is Roman settlements. Avoiding another infrastructure projects of national happening early – and that such early Although the road was eventually Twyford Down? interest’.” engagement must go broader than completed in 1994, it became a The CNDP hosts local public local communities. symbol of destructive engineering debates on contentious major Highways England project director and was described in Parliament projects in all sectors, not just Tim Jones describes how a 2016 route in 1994 as “the most controversial rail, as early as possible in their consultation attracted more than British motorway project ever to start development. All participants, for 47,000 responses (see feature p44). construction.” or against a project, are given equal To Jones, local people and road So how do Jones and the rest of the resources to make their cases. The users must have their voices heard: infrastructure sector avoid judicial CNDP then summarises these views “You have to ask their [road users’] reviews or, in the worst case, a repeat in a report to which project sponsors views as well. They are as much part of the industry-reputation damaging must respond. of a public consultation as the local Twyford Down battles? The CNDP is neutral and people,” he says. “Listen to them, and The Institute for Government trusted. It has no ability to enforce find a way of actually talking to them (IFG) thinks the UK should look to recommendations but most project about what is in it for them. Why is it France for a better system of public sponsors act on them. “Of the important?” engagement. 61 projects on which the CNDP By engaging early with both groups In its report How to transform facilitated debates between 2002 Jones is determined that his scheme infrastructure decision making in the and 2012, 38 made modifications, avoids the pitfalls of earlier highways UK it advocates the creation of a including 25 that changed their schemes such as the Newbury bypass Commission for Public Engagement plans based on options that emerged and Twyford Down. Both projects based in part on the success of provoked mass protests. Twyford France’s Commission Nationale du remains indefensible, he says. Débat Public (CNDP). “I think what we did to Twyford “The CNDP was established in the Down was absolutely outrageous. It is late 1980s in a similar context to that Giving the the worst piece of civil engineering I facing the UK now: declining central think I have ever seen in my life”, says state power and well-organised public a real say Jones. opposition to strategically important In 1991, protesters camped out on [in France, particularly rail] projects,” in policy and planning site and chained themselves to plant IFG explains. “In response, the French can be extremely in an attempt to stop an extension of government set up the CNDP to the M3 at historic Twyford Down in ensure ‘public participation in the “effective 36 NEW CIVIL ENGINEER | APRIL 2018 from the public debate,” IFG says. Some schemes have been cancelled altogether. Those that go forward do DESIGN PANELS so with public support. “French project sponsors have come to view the CNDP process as a valuable exercise in public “We are there to help projects engagement and data collection rather than a burden or a threat,” achieve their maximum potential” says IFG. Systra director of consulting Boris Rowenczyn has experience of the impact of the CNDP process. In the absence of a Commission for Public are there to help projects achieve their maximum “Projects are debated before Engagement or similar, design review panels potential and beneficially influence design at the options are decided or during have been set up to give the public confidence in the beginning, before planning permission, when development. major infrastructure. changes add value at the least cost. The best time “The public debate can help for projects to go to a panel is when the need is choose between options even The highest profile design panel right now is established and a business case is understood, between whether a rail route should unquestionably the one overseeing the High but when the approach to design is still being be high speed or conventional rail, Speed 2 (HS2) project. formed.” for example. And project sponsors Led by dRMM Architects founder Sadie He is currently “benched” from the HS2 design will listen to the public and make Morgan, its role is to oversee the design of the panel because his practice was commissioned to changes.” high speed line, helping to ensure that through work with Atkins on that Colne Valley Viaduct Recent debates have covered plans great design it delivers real economic, social and specimen design. The design was developed for a £1.8bn to £2.8bn high speed environmental benefits for the whole country. around criteria that include whether it fits the suburban rail line in Lille. Most recently it has put out indicative designs landscape, maintains views and landscape flow as The discussion has resulted in a for the Colne Valley viaduct, which set a high well as being well proportioned and elegant. separate study to see if improving aesthetic standard for the contracting JV to He stresses the design is not prescriptive but Lille Flandres Station would be an deliver to. sets the ambition for the contractor to achieve. alternative. But it is not the first. He also acknowledges that there will have to And in Paris, debate on proposals “The panels are often the forum where be refinement during the contractors’ detailed for a Bus Rapid Transit scheme in the technology and the public overlap,” says Knight design. “Ideally the viaduct wouldn’t have bearings suburbs demonstrated that the route Architects director Martin Knight. in the wet zone and other options should be was not the best for the public and “Where questions like who a piece of explored, but the specimen wasn’t prepared in the significant changes were made. infrastructure is for and how it impacts them are absence of technical issues,” he insists. People understand the need for more important even than what the structural “The braking loads of high speed trains have infrastructure and the early debates design is and how it is built.” been highly influential, for example. But you allow those in favour as well as Knight has sat on the Design Commission for have to start with who the design is for; creating those opposing a scheme to have Wales for 11 years and has seen how beneficial a something our descendants 100 years from now their voices heard . IFG would like a panel can be. “They are a very positive thing; we will be happy with.” Commission for Public Engagement to conduct the public conversations with communities affected as early as publication of the NIC strategy and through the subsequent National Policy Statements. “Giving the public a real say in policy and planning can be extremely effective,” says Davies. “It can build consensus and constructive dialogue around controversial subjects – giving a voice to supporters as well as opponents and linking local discussions about impacts to national discussions about needs. Colne Valley viaduct: “But to be effective, public Not prescriptive, but engagement must happen an ambition for the early, consistently and provide contractor to achieve communities with a genuine opportunity to influence decisions.” N

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