October 29th marked what could prove a landmark day for the British tunnelling industry. After a tremendous effort, spearheaded by Peter South, immediate past president of the British Tunnelling Society (BTS), MPs and industry leaders gathered in London to mark the official launch of the UK Parliamentary Group for Underground Space.
The group, chaired by MP Lawrie, Quinn has been set up to “make available to Parliament the knowledge and advice on current technology available for the formation of underground space and structures and to openly discuss issues of the day involving the use of underground facilities,” South said. It goes a long way further, promising to enable early dialogue on planning of underground installations, present environmentally and socially acceptable answers to infrastructure construction and, very importantly, be a source of expertise for Government, giving advice and comment on relevant issues. This achievement is not to be underestimated. Getting heard in Parliament is no mean feat, let alone managing to form a direct link with high-powered decision makers. Also in attendance was Martin O’Neill MP chairman of the select committee of the Department of Trade and Industry. He raised a point that justifies the lengths it takes to get heard saying, “We tend to respond to pressure – silent pain provokes no response,” concluding that the industry should “boast of the scale of its achievements.”
To shout your own potential in order to put pressure on decision makers, is not a mark of arrogance when backed up by past achievement. In fact, it is a necessity. The British industry now has a window to Parliament, encouraging solutions that may not have been previously considered.
If this is possible in the UK, then there is no reason why it cannot be embraced internationally. With surface space becoming more over-crowded, underground infrastructure projects are becoming more elaborate, technically challenging and ultimately more costly. Continual dialogue with the political decision makers, who can sway large- scale financing, could make the difference between a project going ahead or gathering dust on the drawing board. The UK Parliamentary Group for Underground Space will act as an extension of the BTS and is set to make a real difference. This is certainly an example that many other tunnelling associations could do well to follow.
