TO BE PUBLISHED May 2026
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This conference will consider next steps for roads strategy, funding, and infrastructure in England.
It will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to examine the third Road Investment Strategy published in March 2026 and implementation of the £27bn funding package for England’s motorways and major A-roads. Delegates will assess practicalities for its implementation alongside implications for infrastructure objectives, finance, and delivery going forward. The discussion also follows measures announced in the 2025 Autumn Budget, including £7.3bn for local road maintenance.
RIS3: investment & implementation
Sessions will look at strategic and practical issues related to shifting to a stronger emphasis on maintenance, renewal and resilience of existing road networks. Areas for discussion include risk-based approaches to renewal planning, alongside priorities for tackling disruption and unplanned closures - and questions around how asset performance is monitored and reported across different parts of the network.
Priorities for local road maintenance and investment will be assessed amid concerns about backlogs, costs and condition - particularly with Asphalt Industry Alliance research suggesting that maintaining potholes on local roads in England and Wales would cost £18.6bn - looking as well at potential options for addressing regional disparities in asset condition. Delegates will discuss the shift to preventative maintenance and promoting wider adoption of effective practice, including the recently introduced red, amber and green ratings for local highway authorities. We also expect discussion on the further 16 road schemes on the major road network and local roads green lit in RIS3.
Delegates will consider implications of this strategic shift for delivery capacity, including in relation to planning capability, workforce skills, and supply chain resilience. Funding arrangements will be assessed, looking at the potential of clearer multi-year settlements and a more predictable pipeline of work to support the confidence of delivery bodies and suppliers in investing in equipment, materials supply, workforce development, and improved maintenance techniques. Mechanisms for financial oversight and assurance will also be examined in the context of inflationary pressures and rising project delivery costs.
Technology, sustainability & climate adaptation
Attendees will assess priorities for technology, data and innovation in road management, including options for taking forward digital road networks and predictive maintenance, and assessing systems needed to support joined-up asset management and more consistent decision-making.
Sessions look at the way forward for supporting the sustainability and decarbonisation of construction, alongside mitigating environmental impacts, in the context of ongoing reform to the National Planning Policy Framework and measures in the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025.
Further discussion will examine expectations for climate risk management and disruption planning, as set out in the Department for Transport’s recently published Climate adaptation strategy for transport. Attendees will consider what effective climate adaptation looks like on the ground - including priorities for drainage, structures and surface treatments and operational readiness - alongside the respective roles of national and local delivery bodies, and expectations for funding streams to embed climate adaptation measures.
Investment planning, strategic policy alignment & net zero
Further sessions examine practical approaches to aligning investment in the strategic and local road networks with user needs and wider policy aims, including addressing regional disparities, supporting technological innovation and contributing to net zero objectives. Discussion will consider how national investment priorities relate to regional transport and place-making agendas, alongside implications of RIS3’s focus on asset renewal rather than capacity enhancement for freight and associated economic activity.
Delegates will examine implications of electric vehicle uptake for charging infrastructure on the strategic road network and local roads, including questions of accessibility, equity between places and the needs of different road users. Discussion will also consider the interaction between environmental objectives and maintaining journey reliability for passengers and freight, alongside approaches to road design that supports sustainability, public transport and active travel, while addressing safety and reliability for vulnerable users.
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those already due to attend include officials from the Department for Transport; Office of Rail and Road; and National Wealth Fund.
