Helen Blood of Boundary Marketing and PR writes for Highways News:
The RSTA Annual Conference 2026 returned to The Belfry in the new Masters Suite. While the golf and the spectacular venue drew excitement, the real draw was a revamped programme, extended into the afternoon, with a stronger focus on sector challenges.
New Chair Sasho Kamburov from Spray Tanker Services, opened with a clear statement of direction: raising standards, championing best practice and professionalism, supporting the membership, and driving collaboration and innovation. His speech set a tone that ran through the entire day.
Key Association priorities were outlined, including supporting upskilling in the sector with the return of the ‘Lunch and Learn’ sessions, updates to the Codes of Practice and a new online learning portal. A highlight was the announcement of a proposed Pavement Engineering and Management Diploma – a joint initiative between the RSTA, IAT and IHE covering Asphalt Technology, Pavement Engineering, Asset Management and Road Surface Treatments. Upcoming joint Highways Live events with Highways Magazine were also confirmed.
The keynote from the Department for Transport (DfT) addressed Government priorities for road maintenance and renewal, recent transparency reporting announcements, and the bridges, flyovers and tunnels funding opportunity. The DfT’s message was clear: funding must be accompanied by demonstrable preventative maintenance and measurable standards. This theme was echoed across several sessions, with the RAC highlighting the challenges facing motorists and how collaborative efforts with the RSTA and REA had seen momentum gather around the agenda for more preventative maintenance and mandated training, NHT Networks making the case for preventative approaches across cost and carbon outcomes, and AtkinsRealis (on behalf of UKRLG) confirming the first draft of the revised Well Managed Highway Infrastructure Code of Practice is now out for consultation. Sustainability was also on the agenda, with Emma Pye presenting on PAS2080 and ISO14001 developments as a teaser for an upcoming ‘Lunch and Learn’ session in June.
Data and asset management featured prominently in the afternoon sessions, with Lincolnshire County Council sharing their experience of preventative maintenance and road recycling, and Wiltshire Council outlining their pragmatic use of blanket permits to accommodate weather-dependent surface treatments. A permitting best practice webinar is planned for later in the year.
The day closed with a session on mental wellbeing, led by Blue Monkey Coaching, followed by RSTA Chief Executive, Mike Hansford, speaking candidly about his own experiences of stress. Around 75% of the room indicated they could relate – a powerful moment that underlined just how widely this issue resonates across the sector.
The evening awards dinner, hosted by Amy Dowden of Strictly Come Dancing, celebrated outstanding work: Norfolk Council (with Roadtechs and SPL) took the Asset Management Award for a scheme that was recycled in situ, and the asphalt resurface course rejuvenated five years later to ensure it remained in good condition; WJ won the HSEQ Award for its HAAS alert system; Multevo claimed the Innovation Award for its cold recycling patching machine; and Galvmac picked up the Skills and Employment Award.
Reflecting on what was described by many as the best RSTA conference ever, Mike Hansford said: “The conference for me signalled an appetite for change and an improvement in standards and professionalism in our sector, which was summed up in our Chair’s welcome speech, to secure better use of investment in managing the UK’s greatest asset, and therefore better outcomes.
This was reinforced in the messages coming from the DfT who demand to see transparency in how maintenance funding is being invested and therefore setting out clear criteria and standards for local highway authorities to focus on.
To secure improved standards we need to focus on upskilling the sector, acknowledging that we continue to welcome new people, and the RSTA proposes to support this through a number of collaborative initiatives and educational courses.
The 2026 Annual Conference will be one to remember, and we thank everyone involved in putting the day together, our members who supported the event, especially the event sponsors, and also our speakers. We now face the unenviable task of how to better that in 2027!”
(Picture – Boundary Marketing and PR/RSTA)
