Assessing the impact of road schemes on people and communities

As the body responsible for the functioning of the strategic road network, the work of the Highways Agency influences the lives of millions of people across England. Highways are critical to the UK economy. Therefore, their efficient and effective functioning promotes national well-being. At the same time, the Highways Agency recognises that roads can have profound impacts on the local well-being of neighbouring communities. This paper discusses the drivers shaping the Highway Agency's response to social and community effects. It summarises research on what social sustainability means for road schemes, and describes how these findings could form the basis for a new methodology for assessing community effects. The Highways Agency is considering the possibility of including this methodology in its widely used Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB). A revised chapter in the manual would provide strengthened guidance on how environmental assessments should account for the effects of road schemes on communities including the different groups of people within these communities. It would be a key resource for designers and engineers to understand and address the social dimensions of new road construction and the maintenance and improvement of existing roads.