The Area 7 five-year contract started on 1st July 2009 with an overall estimated value of £300m.

Area 7 comprises 79km of motorway and 428km of trunk roads in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Rutland. It includes stretches of the M1, M69, M6, as well as the A1, A14, and A46 and is one of the busiest Highways Agency networks.

A-one+ and the Highways Agency brought together three existing Areas to form the new Area 7 commission. This has involved implementing new processes and procedures, which has been particularly challenging when set against the backdrop of the current economic downturn.

The following are a few things we have achieved since the start of the contract:

• dealt with the most severe winter for 31 years
• planted 14,600 trees and created 14 new wildlife habitats on verges
• achieved Beacon Status for the annual Area Safety Action Plan
• achieved injury collision frequency rates below target for the last 8 months
• Health & Safety performance being rated Highly Satisfactory by the Highways Agency
• established a successful working relationship with Highways Agency's East Midlands Regional Control Centre
• established new HR procedures and set up training for team managers
• consistently obtained good results in the NOACC audit
• delivered a year of scheme allocations in just 9 months
• the only MAC Area in the country which is fully subscribed to the NOM (Network Occupancy Management) process
• implemented a TILOS programme for optimisation of works on the network, a function that allows a visual representation of a section of road to work efficiently
• introduced a plant allocation system which is now in place and operating very effectively

Going forward, we are more than well equipped to deal with whatever problems are thrown our way and with our dedication, our people and our main focus being on safety, we are sure the year ahead of us will be as successful.