This webinar aims to demonstrate the power of effective stakeholder engagement to deliver a politically sensitive project at pace.

The UK Department for Transport (DfT) asked Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) to manage a project to consider how Network Rail can best ensure the safety of our railways, while also protecting wildlife and preserving trees………”. This follows concerns about the impact that tree felling, considered necessary for the safe operation and performance of the railway, was having on nesting bird populations.

This session is intended to demonstrate how a wide range of stakeholders with apparent competing dilemmas can work effectively together to agree what steps need to be taken to value the trees and wildlife habitats along our railway.

John Varley OBE TD, Independent Chair of this “Varley Review”, and Estates Director of Clinton Devon Estates was appointed to deliver this work, which was project managed by RSSB. He will give us an insight into how he approached the challenge set for him by the DfT.

Jane Dobson, Portfolio Head at RSSB, as Project Manager for this work will describe what methods were used to bring together stakeholders with conflicting interests; those who manage the railway network, those who champion the natural environment it supports, and those for whom biodiversity is an essential.

Finally, Dr Neil Strong, Biodiversity Strategy Manager, Network Rail, will talk about how they have implemented the recommendations and how they continue to do so in the context of Network Rail’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy.

The presentations will close with a summary about the importance of stakeholder engagement and the floor opened to the audience for questions.

For further information and to book your place on the webinar, please visit the APM website.