NEWS RELEASE
4th December 2007
National Joint Utilities Group celebrates 30 years in streetworks
Minister of State for Transport to speak at the NJUG Parliamentary Reception
The National Joint Utilities Group (NJUG) - the UK industry association representing utilities on street works issues -is celebrating its 30th anniversary. The occasion will be marked at its Annual Winter Reception, held this year at the Strangers Dining Room of the House of Commons on the 6th December 2007.
Hosting the event will be Hon Mrs Gwyneth Dunwoody MP, Chair of the Transport Select Committee on Environment, Transport and R egional Affairs. Also speaking at this year’s event will be Rt Hon Rosie Winterton MP, Minister of State for Transport, Tim Sharp, Corporate Communications Director of Balfour Beatty Group - sponsors of the event - and Richard Wakelen, CEO of NJUG.
In past years the event has been attended by parliamentarians, key utility industry figures, Government Departments (Department for Transport, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, DEFRA) , representatives from local councils including traffic managers, regulators, as well as other key stakeholders such as CBI, Better Regulation Executive and Commission
In his speech at the event, Richard Wakelen is expected to reinforce the need for utilities and local authorities to work together better, and will set out ways to enable the utilities industry to do this, making particular reference to NJUG’s ‘Vision for Street Works.’ The Vision, which was launched in April 2007, supports the goals of the Traffic Management Act as well as existing street works legislation and codes of practice. It promotes safety including minimising damage to underground assets, best practice, quality, sustainability and greater co-ordination of street works. Many member companies are already actively working together and with local authorities to co-ordinate works.
Richard Wakelen said, “NJUG is proactively promoting the improvement of street works, consistency of standards, use of new technology and sustainable methods of working. The Annual Parliamentary Reception is an opportunity to bring together the people who are pioneering, standardising, implementing and benefiting from NJUG’s positive work, to share stories from the past and visions of the future. It promises to be an interesting and successful event."
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Notes To Editors
For further editorial information or to arrange an interview please contact pressoffice@njug.org.uk or telephone 020 7609 1900.
About The National Joint Utility Group (NJUG)
The National Joint Utilities Group (NJUG) is the UK industry association representing utilities on street works issues. Including members through trade associations, NJUG represents forty-one utility companies. Its focus is on promoting safety, quality and sustainability of street works, alongside the sharing of best practice, and working together with stakeholders to minimise disruption. NJUG is also the utility arm of the Highway Authorities and Utilities Committee, HAUC(UK), working collaboratively with local authorities to better standards of road and street works in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Our members include the Energy Networks Association (representing electricity and gas companies), Water UK (representing water companies), National Grid, BT, Cable and Wireless, Virgin Media and THUS plc. We also have five Associate Members – contractors Balfour Beatty, Skanska McNicholas, Clancy Docwra, Morrison and Morgan Est.
We all rely on gas, electricity, water and telecommunications being delivered to our homes and businesses and being available all of the time. To maintain that level of reliability requires major asset investment programmes and therefore utilities to carry out works in the street. But we recognise the need to further improve co-ordination of works to continue to reduce the regrettable disruption that our essential works sometimes cause.
Utilities undertake essential street works for four main reasons – safety, security of supply, to connect or enhance consumer supply, or to divert apparatus to facilitate transport or urban regeneration schemes.