On 1st August, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) launched a consultation to seek views on updating its approach to holding National Highways to account. 

The ORR’s approach to holding National Highways to account is outcomes-focused and seeks to identify risks and resolve issues in the early stages. 

The ORR are seeking views on the following:  

• restructuring the existing Holding National Highways to Account Policy document to provide greater transparency as to how ORR apply the principles set out in the Infrastructure Act 2015
• providing clarity on ORR’s role and how they undertake their outcomes-based, forward-looking and strategic approach to delivering the intent of Roads Reform
• why and when ORR gather information from stakeholders, including how they work with other government departments and regulators with overlapping enforcement powers 

ORR’s Consultation questions 

1. Is there anything that our review of our holding to account policy should include beyond the application of principles, clarification of our approach and improving transparency on our relationship with National Highways?  

2. How useful is the explanation in the current version of holding to account of how we apply the regulatory principles set out in the Infrastructure Act 2015 as a framework to hold to account? Is anything unclear and if so, what?  

3. Is our policy sufficiently clear as to how we approach matters such as safety or environmental issues and how we work with other agencies, regulatory bodies and government departments?  

4. Do you have views on whether ORR’s outcomes-based, forward-looking approach delivers the right level of sight for stakeholders of National Highways’ performance and delivery? In your experience, do we provide sufficient opportunities for external engagement in this approach? How could we make our wider engagement more transparent? 

 5. Is our role, as set out in our holding to account policy, clear to stakeholders, including the extent and limits of our legal powers including the line between or overlap with that of the Department for Transport?  

6. Is there any other feedback you would like to provide on our holding to account policy proposals? 

Info & Support 

If you would like to get involved or want to know more, please email technical@ciht.org.uk.