David Tarrant – who recently retired as Mott MacDonald’s managing director of highways – has been a Rees Jeffreys trustee since 2014. He will be supported in his new role by Ginny Clarke FCIHT, who becomes vice chair.

“I am honoured to follow David Hutchinson as chairman of the Fund,” said David Tarrant. “He has done a great job in ensuring that the Fund is widely known and respected; and supported projects that are relevant to the transport issues of today.”

The Rees Jeffreys Road Fund provides financial support for research projects, courses that lead to qualifications and schemes designed to improve the highway network and roadside environment.

One of the most high profile studies supported by the Road Fund in recent years was the Major Road Network for England study, led by David Quarmby and Phil Carey.

“There is further work that can be done to take that study forward which I intend to encourage in my time as chairman,” David Tarrant added.

The Road Fund is currently working on two follow up MRN studies. One is a paper on governance, set to be published shortly, and a second is a study led by Phil Carey entitled ‘the Roads Challenge’ looking at what users of England’s road network can reasonably expect in future and how that could be delivered. This paper is scheduled to report around Easter.

Outgoing chairman David Hutchinson commented: “I am pleased to be able to hand over the reins to David Tarrant. The Fund continues to play an important role in supporting transport research and promoting professional development. We have an excellent group of Trustees who I am sure will carry on the work for many years to come.”

The Fund is governed by nine trustees, all with a wealth of transport experience. As vice chair, Ginny Clarke will focus on overseeing the Fund’s own investments and succession planning.