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On the road to better management of public assets

Posted on 20 November 2014

A partnership between the University of York and technology company Gaist Solutions Ltd is extending the life of the UK’s public infrastructure assets.

Funded through Innovate UK, the York/Gaist Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) is using sophisticated GRID technology to ensure more effective maintenance of roads, pavements, street furniture, parkland and drainage.

Its success was highlighted recently in the performance of its client Blackpool Council in the annual national public satisfaction survey carried out by MORI on behalf of the National Highways and Transportation Network.

While the survey, which involved 116 local authorities, found that overall views about the condition of highways in the UK are still at near record low levels, Blackpool Council bucked the trend. It gained the largest improvement for overall satisfaction, tackling congestion and road safety while also gaining the best overall score for road safety. The authority was also rated in the top five for improvements in public transport, walking and cycling, and highway maintenance.

The York/Gaist KTP involves researchers from the University’s York Centre for Complex Systems Analysis (YCCSA) working with specialists from Gaist Solutions to combine condition and maintenance data from a wide range of sources. Using an unprecedented level of accuracy and a real-time update mechanism, they are able to ensure the effective targeting of ever scarcer resources. 

Cllr John Jones, Blackpool Council’s cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “Our work with Gaist and the University of York has been essential to enabling the Council to make the right investment decisions now to ensure that we have a road network that is fit to hand on to the next generation.

“We are now able to use sophisticated modelling techniques to test the validity of our maintenance plans and fix the right roads at the right time and predict long term future budget needs. We value very much the innovative collaboration we have been involved in that has allowed us to tap into world class research and gain rapid benefits for our residents. The results of the survey speak for themselves and we are now going to concentrate on allowing other Councils to tap into the work we have done as a team and hopefully spread the benefits nationally.”

Professor Peter Cowling, from York’s Department of Computer Science, who is based in YCCSA, said: “We are very pleased to have played a part in Blackpool Council’s success. Central Government and local councils spend millions of pounds each year building and maintaining infrastructure. Our database can inform strategic decisions on purchasing and funding. We can use and research advanced tools from Artificial Intelligence and Operational Research to generate value from the data, especially in improved planning and scheduling.”

Steve Birdsall, Gaist Managing Director, added: “We are delighted our valued client Blackpool Council has demonstrated that its vision for highways asset management was the correct one and the improvements in the condition of their roads, footways and management techniques are obviously appreciated by the residents of Blackpool.

“We have worked closely as a team with Blackpool Council to develop advanced approaches to highways data management and long term financial modelling. This hard work has paid off and we are now seeing a rising demand from other Councils across the UK who wish to benefit from this work. This would not have been possible without the vision and drive of Blackpool Council and the excellent input of the University via the KTP. This is a shining example of how a KTP can rapidly deliver massive value to a business and its customers.”

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