January 2012

Department for Transport civil servants warned MPs this week that standards would be affected by road maintenance spending cuts.

The Public Accounts Committee heard that reducing costs in the DfT would mean slower response times to highways problems.

A report by spending watchdogs at the National Audit Office said that a reduction in routine maintenance spending would equate to £310m to 2014/2015 but there would be a corresponding increase of £150m in capital spending to move to an annual cycle of maintenance with managed degradation and much slower response times.

DfT outgoing permanent secretary Lin Homer said: “We believe it is going to be possible to make more of the maintenance routine and therefore reduce the overall cost.”

Committee member James Wharton said that there “seems to be an acceptance that maintenance of roads will be generally to a lower standard and slower”.

Homer added that while there may be moments when it looks like conditions are worsening, the DfT did not believe “the network would degrade” under the plans but accepted that there would need to be careful monitoring as a result of the changes.

The report points out the Highways Agency will see the greatest reduction in spending in this review period from the Department for Transport.

Budgets are falling, in cash terms, from £3.2bn per annum in 2010/11 to £2.1bn in 2014/15 - a 41% real terms reduction.

Sept 2011

The Road Emulsion Association's members have experienced strong growth in the use of Bond Coats - this photograph shows Bond Coating in action - also please have a look at our Technical Data Sheet No. 5 that describes the process

 (with thanks to Rory O'Connor at Tarstone Surfacing Ltd for this photograph)

Sept 2011

We welcome Kraton Polymers as new Associate Members of REA -  Kraton is a leading global producer and supplies styrene butadiene styrene (SBS) polymers for modification of bitumen to produce modified bitumen emulsions for both paving and construction purposes. David Bell represents Kraton at the REA. (for contact details please click on the "Membership" page on this website).

Sept 2011

 More than three-quarters of councillors quizzed in a road condition survey are unhappy with the state of their local highways network.

Research by the Asphalt Industry Alliance also revealed that over half of councillors said the £200m injection of emergency funding from central government earlier this year was not enough to cover all the winter damage to roads.

44% of those polled called for increased funding from government to help maintain local roads, whilst a third, recognising that this is unlikely, said alternative means of funding should be made available.

And 78% said they were not satisfied with the condition of their local road network and 90% said road condition remained an issue in their area following the severe winter weather.

 July 2011

The Road Emulsion Association website has won a "Highly Commended" award in the national competition organised by the Trade Association Forum at its "2011 Best Practice Awards" dinner in London.

For more details please click on the Trade Association Forum logo on the lower right hand side of any of the pages on the REA website.

May 2011

We are very pleased to confirm that the Road Emulsion Association website has been shortlisted for an award in a national competition. 

The REA is a member of the Trade Association Forum that links over 300 trade associations across the UK. The Forum runs annual "Best Practice Awards" and have just announced that REA has been shortlisted with 3 other trade associations for one of the 2011 Awards - "Website of the Year".

The winners will be announced at an Award Ceremony in London on Thursday 7 July 2011.

April 2011

The Road Emulsion Association has updated its "Code of Good Practice for the use & safety of Mobile Storage Tanks" (with input from the Environment Agency & the Health & Safety Executive) in readiness for the 2011 surfacing season.

To open the Code please click HERE

Mobile Storage Tanks are used are transported to construction sites throughout the UK where road surfacing work is undertaken.  After the Tanks are installed they are periodically filled with bitumen emulsion binder, which is drawn off for use in local highway construction and maintenance contracts.REA first developed the Code of Good Practice in the mid 1990s to aid the safe operation of; and safety of members of the public; highway authorities and contractors, when in close proximity to Mobile Storage Tanks.

April 2011

More than 23 million Britons say they want councils to repair roads as their first priority.

The findings come from new research commissioned by support services specialist May Gurney into the facilities people feel most need improving in their communities.

Local roads topped the poll, with almost half (49%) of people feeling this should be the focus for councils, with cleaner and tidier streets (29%) and improved public transport (25%) also scoring highly among British residents.

Philip Fellowes-Prynne CEO at May Gurney said:  “Local authorities have been under a lot of pressure this year from a combination of Government spending cuts and the need to maintain services in the face of increasing demand.

“Councils are having to find spending cuts of 27% over the next four years as well as contend with extraordinary expenditure, such as repairs to roads damaged by the severe weather conditions that hit regions across the UK in January.

“While the Government’s announcement of an additional £200 million in funding for pothole repairs is good news, it is clearly something that the public feel is a priority.”

October 2010

John Keayes the Road Emulsion Association's Consultant & Secretary presented a paper on "Worldwide Bitumen Emulsion Production Statistics 2006-2009" at the International Bitumen Emulsion Association's "World of Emulsions Congress, Emulsion Producers Day" in Lyon to an international audience of over 250 experts

The Road Emulsion Association Limited (REAL) is a UK trade association representing manufacturing businesses that supply a wide range of bitumen emulsion products used in the highways, airfield and construction sectors.

We aim to provide a good member intelligence network to understand what issues are on the agendas of policy-makers and businesses as well as those issues that are important in central and local government policy making. We attempt to identify the effects of policy measures on our sectors and contribute to government consultations.

This Association has an extensive knowledge of our industry and we believe trade associations can form effective partnerships with governmental and academic bodies to bridge mutual gaps in understanding.

Our representations to the government on policy matters are backed up with the best-available evidence gathered from our members to help with the assessments and practicalities of the costs and benefits of policy proposals.

As a result we frequently work with other Trade Associations to establish excellent lines of communication with specifiers, standards bodies and government.

This association was formed in December 1928 and  in 1947 was retitled the Road Emulsion Association Limited.

We promote the interests of members, who manufacture, supply and distribute Bituminous Emulsion materials. Currently six member companies represent all the major UK producers and suppliers of these highly technical materials. We also have associate members which are organisations supplying specialist materials to member companies.

The Association is managed by the Council made up of senior individuals from member companies. This group meets formally each quarter.

Reporting to the Association's Council is a highly experienced Technical Committee that comprises senior technical staff from constituent member firms. This Committee also meets quarterly, disseminating and considering technical issues, standards and enquires.  Some senior technical committee members represent the UK industry on British Standard and government committees as well as on European committees.

The Association's primary objectives include the provision and use of high quality materials and as a result ALL member Companies are Quality Assured to BS EN ISO 9001:2008.

The Association also is a member of a number of national and international bodies including the UK based Trade Association Forum and the International Bitumen Emulsion Federation.

To promote the technical and sustainable benefits and the safe and responsible use of bitumen emulsions in the highway maintenance and construction industries.