The contract, which starts on 1 October, will cover maintenance, inspections, repairs and winter services for roads, footpaths, car parks, bridges and underpasses, street lighting, traffic management systems and winter maintenance.

In addition, other council services, including housing, education, property and greenspace, will be able to access design, repairs and construction skills, helping to ensure efficiency and value for money for the council and residents.

As part of the contract, HOCHTIEF will provide a number of benefits locally including providing employment and training opportunities for residents, supporting community groups and charities, and allowing staff to carry out volunteering as part of their work.

HOCHTIEF is an engineering-led global infrastructure solutions provider, which has been tasked with reducing the environmental impact of the infrastructure to support the council’s work to reduce its carbon footprint.

“This new partnership with HOCHTIEF will deliver an effective, efficient maintenance and improvement service for our roads network and other infrastructure, which is vital for business and industry, public transport and our residents,” said Chief Executive Des Murray.

“The contract will also help the council deliver improved services and facilities in other areas of our work by providing additional resources and expertise to progress our capital investment programme.”

The contract includes 11.5 million m2 of road carriageway, 4.5 million m2 of footpaths, 550 structures, three reservoirs, 2.3 million metres of street lighting cable, more than 3,000 signs and 200 traffic management systems.

"We are delighted to have won this Area Maintenance Contract in North Lanarkshire. HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions GmbH has built a strong reputation for sustainable and innovative highway maintenance services in Europe. We will use these strengths to deliver a tailored offering to meet the needs of North Lanarkshire Council. Innovation and digitalization are at the heart of our business model. As part of our smart city initiatives, we want to combine our international experience and innovation with the flexibility of local providers and achieve goals together," said Peter Coenen, Managing Director of HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions GmbH.

Andreas Hoppe, Operations Director at HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions GmbH, said: "I am very excited about this opportunity and look forward to working with the council and the people of North Lanarkshire to deliver a resilient and efficient service offering and create successful places.”

HOCHTIEF has been appointed for an initial eight years, with potential to extend the contract, worth up to £450 million, for a maximum of 12 years.