Influential council director becomes chair of infrastructure partnership
The deputy chief executive, lead director for economic and community infrastructure and director of Commissioning at Somerset County Council, is the new chair of the South West Infrastructure Partnership.
Paula Hewitt was heavily involved in coordinating the local authority response to the devastating Somerset winter floods of 2014-15 and led the work to minimise the effect of future flooding through the Somerset Rivers Authority.
SWIP was founded by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) South West in 2017 to share information and create connections between infrastructure sectors.
“SWIP exists to break down silos and barriers among infrastructure sectors in the South West, and this work has never been more important as the region faces up to the impacts of climate change and the huge task of reducing carbon emissions,” said Hewitt.
“Only by working together can we meet these huge challenges and ensure the South West has the infrastructure it needs to improve people’s lives and bring prosperity and resilience, while also protecting nature and the environment. I hope to encourage more infrastructure professionals, stakeholders, and leaders to join SWIP and contribute to our cross-sector journey to net zero.”
Hewitt’s appointment comes as SWIP publishes its first major report in partnership with ICE South West.
South West Vision 2050 examines what the region needs to do to achieve an effective, forward-facing infrastructure system. The report reveals that much of the thinking needed to identify how to improve the lives of those within the region has already been done.
However, it says much more progress is required on committing investment to infrastructure projects that take a long-term view of people, place, and the environment.
