Why Social Value is Changing the Way We Think
The recently revised National Planning Policy Framework recognises the role of the built environment in supporting strong, vibrant and healthy communities. Transport infrastructure is a critical element in helping communities to be better connected and economically vibrant.
Services and open spaces must be accessible to support communities’ health, social and cultural well-being. People living in those communities need the right skills and support to access the economic opportunities that flow from infrastructure investments.
These social objectives are intertwined with the need to design and deliver programmes that improve economic and environmental sustainability. While these considerations are not new, the emphasis placed upon them is much greater.
Delivering this ambitious agenda calls for more productive and integrated relationships between communities, infrastructure owners, operators, and contractors. In many ways we are moving from social value being something additional that is delivered along with the project to becoming a core objective in the way they are planned and evaluated.
Vibrant and healthy communities depend on people being able to make strong social connections and having access to open spaces, amenities and economic opportunity. That’s a huge agenda that can’t be tackled by organisations working in isolation.
How do we Measure Success?
How much of this is measurable? Can social value be measured in ways that allow performance to be benchmarked and progress to be monitored? How do we place an economic value on people’s contentment?
We can certainly measure outputs such as passenger volumes, journey times and vehicle movements, but what about the impact of these on people’s wellbeing? This is harder but definitely achievable. Once we start thinking in these terms we are straight away concerned with our legacy and the impact of our activities long after we have left the site.
By seeking greater clarity on the impact of decisions, all stakeholders can develop a more informed perspective. There will be a growing appreciation of what is most likely to make people happier, healthier and more prosperous.
Through this increased awareness will come more informed conversations about how community-focused infrastructure will help improve people’s wellbeing for the long term
The renewed focus on social value is a significant shift and can’t be delivered by the same old ways of working or customer relationships.
Find out more about our Transport Infrastructure projects here.
