Andrew Jackaman, commercial manager at Thomas Bow, and Kully Boden, interim head of service, highways maintenance at Derby City Council, discuss a busy year on Derby's network.

So, tell us about the size of the task…

Thomas Bow has worked with Derby City Council for many years on their annual highways programmes but this year there has been a real push thanks to additional funding, which sees the total number of schemes reach a staggering 34 resurfacing projects, and despite complications regarding COVID-19 and other location issues, the work was delivered on time and at high quality for each scheme. This is a testament to the collaboration and communication that was executed by Thomas Bow and Derby City Council.

Where was the funding sourced?

After initially receiving an incredible £9m from the Cabinet last March, a two-year programme of planned and preventative measures has been drawn up and implementation has begun, under Derby City's adopted asset management approach to highway maintenance. This money has been supplemented by additional Pothole Fund and Incentive Fund cash awarded to Derby from the Department for Transport. All the funding is very much welcome and vital in delivering a network for the city of Derby to be proud of.

What methods have been adopted to ensure successful collaboration between Thomas Bow and Derby City Council?

From planning and programming to maintaining and refining, Thomas Bow and Derby City Council have been co-working on each element of the schemes from the offset to ensure both purpose and budget are consistently being met. Through the early contractor involvement process, Thomas Bow's in-house designers were able to assist with the schemes to ensure they were delivered efficiently with minimal impact on the communities of Derby. To maintain a safe site, and to meet health and safety standards, Thomas Bow dedicated one of its own project managers with over 30 years of industry experience and service knowledge to oversee the programme.

How have Derby City Council and Thomas Bow adapted and recovered from the effects of COVID-19?

In the face of adversity, we are proud to not only have been able to continue with works as planned but to also implement new strategies and roles, which will improve the overall delivery of works in the future. Most notable has been the introduction of a public liaison officer, who has overseen the social and environmental aspects of the schemes and made sure that residents and local business owners are happy and supportive of the works happening in their area.

We have also increased our online presence, introduced relevant social media channels and hired a professional photographer to document and track the schemes' progress. Additional signage and safety precautions have also been enforced throughout the city. As we came out of lockdown, schemes that were in progress continued with additional ‘Business Open as Usual' signage to assist local shops to reopen after a turbulent year.

What have you learnt from this partnership and what is next?

It is essential, particularly when working on this type and size of scheme, to embrace the residents and work closely alongside them to ensure there are no unnecessary disruptions to businesses, households etc.

The public liaison officer has drastically improved the relationship between the council and its residents and has been the most notable improvement to our process and partnership. Updating people regularly on the status of works is also very important and we've received some great feedback.

Tell us more about the feedback you've received so far?

The feedback we have received from residents so far has been extremely positive. From the quality of the works completed to the attitude of the operatives on site, residents have reported that the process and results are excellent and have exceeded expectations. Despite many problematic locations, the teams on site were able to tackle this with careful co-ordination and understanding of surrounding communities and the environment.

How did the teams perform on site?

There's been a real can-do attitude – from the management team to operators on site – generally, there's a real sense that they are willing and able to do anything we've thrown at them to get the scheme finished on time, on budget and with minimum disruption to our customers.

What is different about delivery this year?

Works were streamlined with more design and challenge upfront, to create a seamless programme. Working relations were great throughout the project and Thomas Bow was trusted to deliver works, which aligned with the Derby City Council brief. Fortnightly team meetings with the project team kept a tight ship on numerous locations being scoped, designed and delivered in tandem.

How have you managed the communication with the communities you have worked in?

Surfacing was the easy part of Normanton Road, a busy through and bus route in a bustling district centre. Co-ordination of communities and businesses was key in achieving success. Extra resources were deployed and a designated neighbourhood officer was hired, who worked to build relationships with the residents and business owners who live in the area. This saved time for both parties and allowed the staff to focus and complete the scheme as efficiently as possible. Additional messages to residents were translated into alternative languages to get the message across of a vitally important scheme amid covid restrictions.

The collaborative efforts between Derby City Council and Thomas Bow have exceeded expectations and we look forward to continuing our partnership in the future.

Jonathan Smale, cabinet member for neighbourhoods and streetpride commented: ‘2020 was a turbulent year for many with the Covid pandemic and Thomas Bow has really stepped up to the plate. Working closely with our highway asset management team and engineering designers, they have diligently provided a top quality surfacing programme across the City of Derby in a safe and socially distanced working environment.

'With the additional investment of £9m, secured by the council's cabinet into the highways infrastructure, Thomas Bow has been a real asset to help us deliver some key improvements in problematic locations during difficult times. I am beyond delighted and so are the many residents who have taken the time to express their appreciation.'