Some nice people from the Highways Agency invited us to talk with them about route-based strategies.  They wanted to discuss their plans for the major national roads that pass through our area.

Motorways and major roads have a huge impact on local places.  They are assets that connect us to the rest of the country.  They influence our economic performance, our behaviour and health. 

It is important that the Highways Agency has recognised that it needs to engage with the key local stakeholders as it prepares its future investment strategies for the major routes around Britain.

A huge amount of data is gathered about traffic flows, average speeds, congestion, accidents, noise pollution, air quality and sensitive environmental considerations.

There is so much data that information overload becomes a problem.  So, a decision-making model which can take into account and balance different bits of information becomes a technical task.

The point was made in our discussion that most of the focus around information under consideration was historic and that we need to shift the balance to give more weight to what will happen in the future.

It is good to see that the Highways Agency is analysing how planned growth in Local Development Frameworks might impact on highways infrastructure.  We also need to think about the needs and impact of different types of economic activity and changing work and leisure travel patterns.

There is a big shift we could make in our thinking by valuing the contribution that investment can make to local economic growth.  Rather than planning new investment as a response to predicted growth, highways investment planning could be integrated with growth plans so that they help facilitate and accelerate growth.

The economic rationale for public transport schemes is well-rehearsed.  Nottingham is currently building two new lines to extend its tram system.

This infrastructure investment will boost the economy by an estimated £300m a year and will create an estimated 8,000 jobs.  Its local economic value and impact is fundamental.

So why shouldn't we view improvements to national road infrastructure through the same lens of local economic benefit?

Andrew Muter is chief executive of Newark and Sherwood DC