Strategic Road Network Economic Overview
The Strategic Road Network (SRN) is vital to the UK economy. It's at the core of the national transport system, connecting towns and cities, people and businesses, goods and markets.
By understanding our role in the economy, we can prioritise our activities. This will help us drive UK productivity through current and future Roads Investment Strategies (RIS).
Our economic overview is split into 4 key roles:
Role 1: Resilient, reliable and value for money connectivity for SRN reliant sectors
The SRN is central to the operation and success of UK businesses by:
- increasing productivity and reducing operational costs – making businesses more competitive
- helping businesses strengthen their supply chains by ensuring fast, reliable delivery of goods and services
- giving workers better access to employers and job opportunities - opening skilled labour markets for employers
- making deliveries to customers easier and providing connections to new markets – helping businesses expand their customer base and satisfy customers
- strengthening performance through partnership, competition and efficiencies - by promoting the 'clustering' of businesses
Role 2: Supporting international trade and inter-regional connections
The SRN plays a vital role connecting our country, providing the strategic links between UK regions and nations which:
- enable international trade through direct access to the national network of maritime ports, airports and the Channel Tunnel
- ensure seamless connectivity across England, Wales, Scotland and onwards to Northern Ireland
- connect major settlements, international gateways, and multimodal transport hubs
- protect and enhance the productivity of the UK economy, providing cost-effective, safe and reliable connections that enable business investment
Role 3 - Ensuring the right development in the right places.
Our network connects places, people and busy urban areas. This makes it a great location for key developments.
The SRN plays a part in planning and developing new and old spaces for businesses, distribution and housing.
It's vital that we allow developments to connect with our network without over-burdening it.
Role 4 - A catalyst for growing social value and boosting prosperity
We act as a catalyst boosting the growth of social value and prosperity across England. We support change, innovation and the creation of new skills in our sector.
As employer, buyer and investor, we make a direct, positive impact on thousands of employees, businesses and the communities they come from.
Together with our supply chain, we deliver benefits for people, the environment and the economy. Driving social and economic value, we focus on:
- skills
- equality, diversity and inclusion
- technological innovation
Our economic overview and role papers support:
- our long-term plan for Connecting the Country
- our 2050 vision of the SRN as part of a seamlessly integrated transport system
Contact us
If you would like to know more about our economic narrative, please email us at EconDev@nationalhighways.co.uk
