A better future for Hounslow

The teams delivering the Highways PFI contract in Hounslow are led by three individuals, who although very different in experience, share the same vision and passion for a better future for Hounslow. We got them together to talk about the project as it nears its mid-way point in 2025.

Why PFI, and why Hounslow?

The UK government wanted to test for “pump priming” investment to recover the backlog in highway maintenance that had built up over decades. The Private Finance Initiative (PFI) principle is to invest strongly, at the right time, to achieve lasting asset management. The then UK government had a competition for local highway authorities to make the case for their roads receiving PFI grants that would allow them to do this. Hounslow made one of the five best cases for this special investment and commitment from the government, and the procurement began.

Rob Gillespie, Chief Executive of Hounslow Highways Services, has worked with Hounslow Council, Ringway and the funders (DfT) who provided the capital investment to the project since before it began in 2013. As Lead Director for the procurement process with Ringway, he then became the Operational Director, guiding the teams through the early years of the project.

Sabeel Khan, Head of Highways PFI for the London Borough of Hounslow, came on board in 2016 during the Core Investment Period (CIP), and now leads the client team for the council working with the client, and the Operating Company (OpCo), Ringway Hounslow Highways (RHH).

Timothy Hurley, the RHH Service Director, started working on the tender in August 2012 before the contract was formally awarded. He is responsible for ensuring delivery of the day-to-day service and supporting nearly 200 members of staff who are striving to support the residents and users of Hounslow’s infrastructure.

They all agree, the PFI project allowed Hounslow to invest in its highway network with upgrade programmes that would not have been possible using council budgets. During the first 5 years of the project (CIP), most of the borough’s roads and footpaths were resurfaced, and approximately 16,000 new energy efficient LED streetlights installed.

We need to be doing the right things at the right time for the benefit of our residents, who we ultimately serve in making our Borough the best it possibly can be.

The contract was forward thinking and as a pathfinder, the ambition was to achieve the best collaborative and innovative outcome between the public and private sector. By bringing together expertise from both sectors, they are achieving excellence in service.

When asked what drives them to deliver such a complex contract, they all agree it’s the people.

Sabeel: My experiences working for the council have shaped me to use a partnership approach, not just for this project, but also with other council services, partners, elected members of the council and residents of the borough. We need to be doing the right things at the right time for the benefit of our residents, who we ultimately serve in making our borough the best it can be.

Rob: For me it’s all about the people. I have been fortunate over the years to work in great organisations with great clients and suppliers. These joined-up teams become even greater when all the people are welltrained, empowered and valued. This has been a value of ours for many years, and I truly believe the Hounslow PFI has one of the best and closest partnerships.

Tim: Personally, it is the relationships I have formed with colleagues, residents and community groups over the last 12 years which have helped me grow, learn, and appreciate that it is the people that make the place. That means the people I work with and the people we serve, who care so much about where they live and rightly will be vocal about it.

What’s been your most memorable part of the project so far?

Rob: My high points seem small in comparison to the scale of the contract; however, it’s when we meet the public and businesses in local forums and discuss locally their expectations and what can be achieved. Similarly, the services we deliver are front-line. When I see one of our street cleansing operatives taking the time to help a member of the public with things outside of their job, that really warms my heart.

Tim: For me it was the funeral procession for Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II as it came through the borough. The relentless planning and preparations were surrounded by an atmosphere of respect and sense of purpose. The efforts undertaken by all services, boroughs, our teams and partners (including our sister contracts in Ringway) were immense and something I will never forget. Even the morning briefing on the day with a 100 of our operatives being deployed was a solemn but proud moment.

Sabeel: Completing the CIP in 2018, which was a huge achievement of nearly £100 million worth of betterment in the borough. Objectives and milestones were tight, and it required a laser focus from all parties, the council, the service provider and the OpCo, to be determined to deliver it, which we all did.

What are your aspirations for the remaining term of the project?

Tim: For me it is not just a contract. I have seen the investment bought in by the PFI which has taken Hounslow from the lowest quartile to the top tier of London boroughs for road condition over the last seven years. Coupled with the growth and confidence of businesses in the borough there is a real belief that Hounslow is a good place to live and do business.

Sabeel: We cannot let complacency set in. There are still roads to invest in, footways to repair, and environmental improvements to be made. A partnership approach is key as we come towards this phase of the project when we begin hand back. As a council officer, the delivery of the project to the expectations we set ourselves and to which we are held to account by our residents, means the most.

Rob: As we move into the second half of the contract, we want to continue to innovate and bring better services to the right areas and communities. We have a huge challenge in energy transition and carbon reduction, and this will be a focus for everyone through the next 13 years. Preparing for the end of the contract needs work, and we cannot start this early enough, but we will help the council prepare for what their new highway service will look like.

Challenges?

Sabeel: Hounslow, more than most boroughs in London, has an extremely busy network being a gateway in and out of London, to Heathrow and the west of the country. Our roads are always under pressure, so it is up to us to ensure we maintain the high standards we’ve set ourselves to keep the borough moving.

Tim: The population has grown nearly 20% since the start of the contract, which brings pressures on roads, cleansing services and operational resources. We need to direct resource and investment to the right place at the right time, that means adapting and innovating to find ways to do things efficiently and right first time. We also must adapt as environmental priorities change so we are delivering a greener service by installing rain gardens, working on sustainable travel initiatives like cycle lanes, investing heavily in electric fleet.

Rob: Any long-term contract will face challenges and changes in the direction that the government and local government want to take. Our challenge is to work together to use the parts of the contract that allow us all to change things to meet the prevailing needs. This is a big job, but when everyone is focused on the end goal with common understanding, it can be achieved.

Final words…

Rob: This is my favourite place. The team here joke that it is the place I like to be the most and they are right. It is a privilege to be so close to the workings of a busy urban borough and to hopefully make a difference.

Such long-term projects are referred to as “relational contracts” which brings an emphasis to the need to work closely together to achieve things in an open and transparent way.

All three agree this has been the case in Hounslow and the service cannot deliver and develop without this. And they will carry on.

How did you get involved with the Chambers?

To be in Hounslow for 25 years is a generation and building long-term relationships had to start with investing time and effort with the residential and business communities we serve that provide jobs, opportunities, and investment (just like us) in Hounslow. RHH committed to be the principal sponsor for the Chamber Awards from 2014 and saw clearly how important the chamber has been in supporting businesses and investment in the Borough.