Social value benefits for corridor communities in M6 upgrade

National Highways is upgrading the M6 between junction 21a and junction 26 boosting capacity by adding an extra running lane in each direction between the two interchanges and tackling congestion by installing a raft of technology to better manage traffic flows at peak times.

The route includes parts of Merseyside, Cheshire and Greater Manchester. And, led by main contractor Costain, some of the 3,100 roadworkers delivering the motorway upgrade have also been lending a hand to local community groups – providing everything from a new car park for Ashton Bears Rugby Club and new drainage at Garswood Hall Bowling and Community Club to school and college activities designed to inspire the engineers and road builders of the future.

Dave Cooke, National Highways’ senior project manager for the M6 upgrade, said:

“National Highways relies on the understanding and patience of communities living near our major road schemes.  Like the M6 project we’re often working in an area for several years and we like to give something back.

“We set high expectations on our supply chain to help us deliver social value in our improvements and it’s fair to say that Costain and delivery partners have more than risen to the challenge. Everyone’s focused on completing the M6 upgrade next year but staff have still found time to help out in local communities in a multitude of ways.”

The roadworkers’ contribution has been about offering engineering know-how and technical skills as much as hard graft. And their work in the community during the past year alone has included everything from delivering improvements at popular Lyme and Wood Pits Country to helping pupils at Millbrook Primary School at Shevington near Wigan build a ‘tuck shop’, a bee-hive and bee garden, and a vegetable patch.

Work in the wider community has included donating more than 300 books to Newton Community Centre’s book recycling fund raising events – as well as mucking in to help repair and repaint parts of the building.

Ann-Marie Morrison, road director at Costain, said:

“The M6 upgrade is a complex major infrastructure project that will provide smoother and more reliable journeys for thousands of daily users but we also have a responsibility to ensure that we are leaving a wider positive legacy and deliver social, economic and environmental benefits, above and beyond what is required to complete a project.

“We’ve enjoyed working closely with National Highways and our partners across the supply chain when engaging with local communities. It is through this collaboration that has made it possible to leave a lasting impact to help local people and the planet.”

Nicky Shaw, secretary of Garswood Hall Bowling and Community Club said:

“The club and our bowlers can't thank Costain enough for the support we've received. We had a longstanding drainage issue with one of our greens.  When it rained part of the green could be submerged in flood water for up to 24 hours sometimes leading to cancelled matches or roping part of the green off.

“The practical help and advice from Costain means that even in this very wet winter the rainwater has been dispersing much more quickly - enabling us to keep both our bowling greens open all year round, helping to maximise income to the benefit of the club and its members.”

And Karen Tomlinson, executive head teacher at Millbrook Primary School, said:

“Costain’s help has been instrumental in developing and driving our school project forward. With the support of staff from the M6 project we are now able to offer our most vulnerable children a variety of rich and varied learning experiences, which our pupils talk with great enthusiasm about.  Costain have helped us to create a legacy which will inspire generations to come.”

The project teams social value work over the last year alone has included:

• See picture: Working alongside M6 project sub-contractors Tarmac and WJ Group, Costain staff helped transform Ashton Bears rugby league club’s pot-holed and uneven parking area with a total overhaul - including foundation and drainage improvements, resurfacing and re-lining with smooth surface and 52 clearly marked and space-efficient bays complete with traffic flow markings  The improvement will help the rugby club, just off the M6 at Ashton-in-Makerfield, host higher-level matches. Pictured are (left to right) Michael Brind, Costain’s social value coordinator, Ashton Bears RLFC chairman Steve Jones and Chris Burrows, Costain's senior community relations and stakeholder manager
• Installing an armed services remembrance bench outside the M6 project’s main compound. The bench is situated along Newton Lane, a popular pedestrian thoroughfare connecting the A580 and A49 at Newton-le-Willows.
• Delivering improvements at popular Lyme and Wood Pits Country Park at Haydock as part of Costain’s aim of promoting health and well-being and contributing to the improvement of the local environment, biodiversity and carbon reduction.
• Encouraging inclusion, healthier living and environmental awareness at Millbrook Primary School at Shevington near Wigan including helping pupils build a ‘tuck shop’ from a disused shipping container, twenty bird houses, a bug hotel, a bee-hive and bee garden, school pond and a vegetable patch and encouraging pupils’ interest in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects.
• Forging links with Warrington UTC – a new-style university technical college for 14 to 16-year-olds focusing on science and engineering skills – with people from the M6 project delivering a variety of careers-focused events like a Meet the Employers and Construction Insight days and work experience placements.
• Donating more than 300 books to Newton Community Centre’s book recycling fund raisers. The community centre plays an important role in Newton-Le-Willows and as part of the ongoing relationship with the community centre, M6 project workers used two volunteer days to help repair and repaint parts of the building including a room-for-hire facility which will help raise funds to keep the centre going.
• Providing ‘hi-vis’ vests to Ashurst Primary School at Haydock and Blythe House Hospicecare whose annual Christmas tree recycling event raised more than £6,000. The school will use its supply of vests to increase learning and leisure activities for its pupils.
• Supporting careers fairs at Standish and Hawkley high schools and Altrincham Grammar School for Girls – with a women in engineering focus on the latter event and work experience placements on offer. Costain’s people are also supporting St Helens Chamber of Commerce’s career carousels in local primary schools – including Broad Oak primary school.
• Passing on donations from project staff of almost £2,000 to help two charities for the homeless - The Brick, Wigan and Room at the Inn, Warrington – with the cash helping purchase food and other essentials for the two homeless charities which provide emergency food and shelter for homeless people. Costain’s people have already given their time to provide new-skills learning and construction careers help and mentoring to homeless people linked with the charities.
• Organising an activities-led work experience day for 28 boys and girls at Hope Academy which is the nearest school to the Newton Lane construction compound.
• Loaning equipment such as a portable generator and portaloo to support children and young people’s events such as Big About Kids festival in Ashton-in-Makerfield and Newton-le-Willows’ Business for Youth coronation party.

The project’s social value contribution will continue this year including a clean-up and maintenance day at a local church, various schools activities, installing a stone circle at a country park, ecology improvements at a community forest garden

National Highways’ commitment to delivering social value through its work in operating, maintaining, repairing and improving the country’s motorways and major A roads – and its expectation on suppliers – is set out in its Social Value Plan.

The M6 junction 21a to junction 26 upgrade started in March 2021 and is expected to be completed in spring 2025.  As well installing extra technology and adding a lane in each direction along the ten mile stretch of motorway drivers will also be able to use one of up to 22 new emergency areas as a place to stop if they experience a breakdown, with roadside telephones providing a direct link to the regional operations centre. More information on the project, including regular updates, is available on a dedicated webpage.

Notes to Editors

National Highways is the wholly government-owned company responsible for modernising, maintaining and operating England’s motorways and major A roads.

Real-time traffic information for England’s motorways and major A roads is available via the Traffic England website, local and national radio travel bulletins, electronic road signs and mobile apps. Local Twitter services are also available.

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