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James Bailey, Assistant Director for Highways and the Built County, Economy, Infrastructure and Skills at Staffordshire County Council and Chair of the ADEPT Engineering Board, explains why ADEPT is supporting CIHT's new Preventative Highways Maintenance Fundamentals course and why investing in skills and professional development will be essential if local highway authorities are to make the most of new opportunities for preventative maintenance.

Anyone working in local highways understands the value of preventative maintenance. Intervening at the right time can extend the life of our assets, improve network resilience, reduce whole life costs and help us make better use of limited resources. The challenge for local highway authorities has not been a lack of understanding or ambition. Years of constrained budgets, increasing maintenance backlogs and the need to prioritise urgent safety repairs have inevitably affected the balance between planned and reactive work.

Local highway authority teams have continued to achieve a great deal with the resources available to them. Now, with additional Incentive Fund allocations we have an important opportunity to achieve a better balance between planned interventions and reactive repairs. That shift towards a more proactive approach is one of the most important developments in our sector. But investment alone will not deliver it. We also need to ensure that people have the right skills, knowledge and also the confidence to make informed decisions about where and when to intervene.

That is why ADEPT is supporting the Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation's (CIHT) new Preventative Highways Maintenance Fundamentals course.

Building skills and capacity

The new digital course has been developed to help local highway authorities, consultants and contractors strengthen their understanding of preventative maintenance and how it fits within effective highway asset management. It covers the financial, legal and policy context as well as Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Systems, lifecycle planning, prioritisation and risk based decision making. Importantly, it looks beyond carriageways to consider drainage, structures, footways, street lighting, traffic signals and other highway assets. Sustainability, carbon reduction, programming and stakeholder engagement are also included.

Authored by Matthew Lugg OBE, a past President of ADEPT, the course has been developed in consultation with local authorities and independently reviewed by industry practitioners. It is endorsed by the UK Roads Leadership Group Roads Board as well as being supported by ADEPT. The online format is particularly useful for busy local authority teams. Training can be completed at a time and pace that works for the individual, without the travel, time away from the workplace and other costs associated with classroom training.

There is also an immediate reason for authorities to consider the course. Under the Department for Transport's (DfT) incentivised funding requirements, authorities need to demonstrate their strategic approach to preventative maintenance and evidence that at least two members of staff have undertaken relevant continuing professional development by 30th November 2026.

But we should look beyond meeting that requirement.

Early feedback from the CIHT team suggests some authorities are considering training significantly more than two people. This is encouraging because the real opportunity is to build understanding and capability across teams, helping preventative thinking become embedded in everyday decision making.

Investing in the people behind our places

For ADEPT, supporting this course is part of a much wider commitment to developing the people who manage our places.

Our members are dealing with increasingly complex challenges, from maintaining ageing infrastructure and responding to climate change to embracing new technology and delivering more with constrained resources. Strong leadership and skilled, confident teams are fundamental to meeting them. This connects directly with ADEPT President Katie Stewart's theme for 2026/27, The Place Director of the Future. If we want resilient places and higher quality public services in the future, we need to invest in the people who will lead and deliver them.

Training and professional development are part of that. So are opportunities to learn from peers, share experience, build professional networks and access the collective knowledge that exists across local government and the wider sector.

ADEPT membership provides that connection. Through our subject boards, working groups, events like the upcoming Autumn Conference, programmes and partnerships, members can learn from colleagues facing similar challenges and contribute to developing solutions that benefit the wider sector. As Chair of ADEPT’s Engineering Board, I’ve seen firsthand the benefits and positive impacts of colleagues and peers working collectively and supporting each other through shared experiences and challenges.

Supporting practical training such as this is another part of that offer.

A 30% saving for ADEPT members

We are pleased that ADEPT members are eligible for an exclusive 30% discount on Preventative Highways Maintenance Fundamentals.

That reduces the standard course fee from £150 to £105 per person, making it easier for authorities to extend training beyond the minimum requirement and develop capability across their teams. It’s also important to be aware that the discount for ADEPT members continues beyond the November deadline.

Preventative maintenance is ultimately about planning ahead and acting at the right time. The same principle applies to our workforce. As greater investment creates new opportunities to improve our highway networks, we need to make sure our people are equipped to make the most of them.

Developing those skills now is an investment not just in better maintained roads, but in the future capability and resilience of the local highways sector.

Further information 

• Find more information on the CIHT Preventative Highways Training Fundamentals training course.
• Discover more about programmes, courses and training offered by ADEPT to its members.
• Read more on the benefits of ADEPT membership.

Author

James Bailey is Assistant Director for Highways and the Built County, Economy, Infrastructure and Skills at Staffordshire County Council and Chair of the ADEPT Engineering Board