IHIE SOUTHERN BRANCH

Local branches cover the whole of the UK and are a vital part of the Institute. Committees of Members organise and run site visits, seminars, technical presentations, discussions and contribute ideas and views.

Within the Southern Branch we organise various all day and afternoon site visits and technical presentations. These are held across the region and have included topics ranging from modern surfacing materials, ground radar techniques, sustainable drainage systems, winter maintenance and the Integrated Transport System developed by the Ordnance Survey.

Previous site visits have included:

TrackJet demonstration

The Spinnaker Tower, Portsmouth

Heathrow Terminal 5 Construction Site

the proposed A3 tunnel at Hindhead

the M25 widening and Heathrow Terminal 5 Spur Road

the Environment Agency's flood alleviation works in Chichester

a day trip to the Winsford Salt Mine in Cheshire

Highways Agency Regional Control Centre, Godstone

These presentations offer a good opportunity for members and their guests to discuss various topics with their colleagues and peers. In addition, you can meet many of your professional development needs at branch meetings.

All branches are run by Committees of Members elected at their AGM. Each year the Southern Branch combines their AGM with a site visit to a location of interest. Venues have included Shoreham Airport in 2002, Dapdune Wharf / The River Wey Navigation in 2003, Brooklands Motor Museum in 2004, the Singleton Open Air Museum in 2005 and this year the Banstead Mobility Centre.

In addition to the AGM, the Southern Branch organises two other annual events. These are our "Winchester Seminar" and a "Wine and Wisdom" Charity Quiz Night held in November.

In previous years, topics for the seminar have included:

the development of Local Transport Plans

the "No Win-No Fee" scenario of insurance claims

winter maintenance processes

carriageway surfacing techniques

corporate manslaughter and risk management

Magic Carpet (1995 topic) revisited 10 years on - Surface Treatments

The "Wine and Wisdom" charity quiz night is an annual fund raising evening held at Ripley Village Hall. The event is always well supported with teams from private and public sector organisations. Recent beneficiaries have included "Cherry Trees", an organisation which provides short-term care for disabled children;"Shooting Stars", a local children's hospice; and the "Bridges for Nepal" Campaign, the IHIE's main 40th Anniversary Charity. In 2006 the charity was DebRA, for whom £750 was raised on the night.

Charities supported by our Wine & Wisdom Quiz Nights

Cherry Trees


The Shooting Star Trust