Start of new Highways contract will see spruce up of North Northants area

27 September 2022

North Northamptonshire Council’s new contract with Kier Highways has now begun – a collaboration to modernise the service and deliver for our residents.

People can expect to see an increased presence on the roads as we roll out our plans to accelerate a spruce up of the North Northants area. 

An investment from NNC of £1.5m will be spent this year, across 109 parishes, to carry out works such as pothole repairs, vegetation clearance, sign cleaning, road marking renewal, drainage investigation and much more. 

This contract is an exciting new opportunity and we’re looking forward to working with Kier and seeing continued improvements made to the road, footpath and cycling network over the coming months and years.

The bid from Kier was comfortably the best on quality and price and we must acknowledge the work of our officers and Kier and their attitude to collaboration with us to get the contract over the threshold.

The contract is very much designed towards modernising the service, including meeting our carbon neutrality targets and achieving value for money for residents through quality performance.

A fit-for-purpose Highways contract is essential in the delivery of so many of our services and vital to every single resident that uses the network, whether for work, leisure or day-to-day journeys.Cllr Graham Lawman, North Northamptonshire Council Executive member for Highways, Travel and Assets

The Highways network is important to everyone as it keeps us connected and allows the delivery of goods and services that we all enjoy.

This is an exciting new collaboration with Kier and I look forward to seeing widespread improvements over the coming months and years.Cllr Jason Smithers, Leader of the Council

After months of preparation, we are delighted to start our works with NNC on a high. It brings me great pride to see our newly-branded PPE and livery out on the roads and in the community – to deliver a positive impact from day one.

We are committed to supporting the local economy by prioritising local suppliers and SMEs, and providing exciting career opportunities. We are also closely collaborating the council to provide sustainable solutions that reach our shared ambition of net-zero by 2030. We look forward to building Kier’s presence in the region further, and to demonstrate our abilities as a trusted partner of choice within the sector.James Birch, maintenance managing director, Kier Highways

This is the first Highways contract to be awarded since the council came into existence in April last year.

Worth approximately £30m a year, it is one of the highest value contracts awarded by the Council and is set to run for seven years, with the potential to extend to a maximum of 14 years. 

The deal has been drawn up to ensure that there is provision for a safe, legal, customer-focused and value for money service while also making tangible contributions to the Council’s commitment to social value and its response to climate change and protecting the environment.