A new climate change board, established under the UK Roads Leadership Group (UKRLG) system, has met for the first time and confirmed initial topics for discussion.

The Adaptation, Biodiversity and Climate Change Board's early focus is set to include a discussion of the Department for Transport report Lessons learned from extreme-weather emergencies on UK highways, as well as the Scottish Adaptation Plan and UK plantlife, especially verge management.

The overriding priority of the Board under its terms of reference is to understand how road networks 'operate and adapt to new pressures such as changing weather conditions, habitat preservation and ecology protection'.

Board membership includes:

  • John A. Lamb (Chair), Local Government Technical Advisers Group (LGTAG)
  • Neil Bennet, UK Asset Management Board representative (Derbyshire County Council)
  • James Bailey, UK Roads Board representative (Staffordshire County Council)
  • Hazel Mc Donald, UK Bridges Board representative & Transport Scotland representative
  • Darren Thomas CSS Wales representative (Pembrokeshire Council
  • Matthew Eglinton, Department for Transport (Highways Maintenance and resilience)
  • Joanna Wooles, Department for Transport (Adaptation)
  • Ewan Wallace, SCOTS representative (Aberdeenshire Council)
  • David Porter, Department for Infrastructure, Northern Ireland

Highways understands that National Highways was sighted on the creation of this board but a nomination was not confirmed at the time of the meeting late last year.

New board chair John Lamb (pictured) said: 'This really is a massively important role and to be asked to lead this group - at least for the inception it is an honour. Following a robust review of UKRLG last year, it was unanimous that across our highways we must better understand and adapt to a changing climate.'