The North Western Branch covers the areas of Lancashire, Cheshire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester and parts of North Derbyshire.

 

The Branch was formed on 8 April 1949 from what was the original Northern Branch founded in Manchester on 23 April 1939. The original Northern Branch covered Lancashire, Cheshire, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Northumberland, Durham, Cumberland, Westmorland and Staffordshire. It also covered Scotland and parts of Wales. In 1949 the North Western Branch included North Wales, Cumberland, Westmorland and Staffordshire, however, these areas were subsequently formed into their own Branches or joined with another branch.

 

 

The North Western Branch celebrated its 50th anniversary on 8 April 1999 and is one of the largest Branches having around 730 members. Four members of the Branch have become National President since 1949 starting with:

Sir James Drake (1959-1960)

Michael Callery (1989-1990)

David Ogden (1999-2000)

Alistair Haydock (2006-2007)

 

The Institution’s Certificate of Merit has been awarded to five members of the Branch:

Donald Dean (1979)

Don Hestor (1980)

Bill Johnson (1986)

Gordon Stinson (1998)

Keith Patterson (2002)

 

The Branch has always been well represented on the IHT’s Council, its Boards and Committees and currently has three members on Council: two Branch delegates and a Vice President.

 

Work on developing the UK Motorway system, which transformed British travel, started in the mid-1950s and it all started in the North West. To learn more about this valuable heritage visit www.iht.org/motorway

 

The Branch committee, currently comprising 18 members, has always had a good representation from all sides of the profession. Within the existing committee there is representation from consultants, local authorities, contractors and academia. The Branch organises a yearly programme of evening meetings which aim to cover a wide range of topics reflecting the diversity of professional disciplines within the Branch membership. In addition, full day seminars are organised twice a year in the spring and the autumn. The meetings and seminars are held in a variety of venues including Preston, Manchester, Liverpool, Chester and Warrington. The Branch enjoys a close liaison with other organisations in the North West including the four Branches in the North Western Association of the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Institute of Asphalt Technology, Lancashire County Engineering Society and the Cheshire Surveyors Association. Many of the evening meetings are held jointly with one or more of the above organisations.

 

On the social side, the Branch holds an Annual Dinner in the Spring and an Annual Dinner/Dance in the autumn. A Branch golf competition is held each year for the Robin Parkinson and James Drake Trophies. A team is also entered into the Locan Cup Competition and has been successful on seven occasions since the Cup became a competition for Branches in 1972.