Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether National Highways’ management of Historical Railways estate structures is in accordance with the best practice principles set out in the Conservation of Highways Structures standard; and what assessment they have made of the environmental impacts of infilling when selecting the preferred asset management option for each structure.

The Conservation of Highways Structures standard applies to listed or designated heritage assets.

Although this standard does not apply to much of the Historical Railways Estate, National Highways does manage the structures in accordance with the best practice principles set out in the standard.

National Highways is conducting heritage assessments on each of the Historical Railways Estate structures.

Management of the Estate is kept under constant review and there is an independent quarterly audit. National Highways undertakes repairs to hundreds of structures every year including works to listed structures. Infilling and demolition is a very small proportion (less than 5%) of the work that it does.

National Highways considers environmental issues, relating to ecology and biodiversity, when considering their asset management approach at any given structure. In many cases, National Highways will incorporate ecological features into the structure as part of the scheme e.g. bat hotels. National Highways removes invasive species and leave piles of clippings from trees and shrubs for use by mammals and reptiles.