As the general election campaign continues, the Blueprint for Growth shares 12 recommendations for the future government from major names in the construction and infrastructure industry
The Blueprint for Growth is a collaborative effort between AtkinsRéalis, Balfour Beatty, Bam, Costain, Galliford Try, Laing O’Rourke, Mace, Morgan Sindall, Mott MacDonald, Vinci Construction, VolkerWessels UK and WSP.
Collectively directly employing nearly 100,000 people across the UK and representing £25bn of UK revenue – which the group argue can be factored by at least a three-fold economic impact as infrastructure investment generates significantly wider economic benefit in the wider supply chain and communities – the Blueprint for Growth represents the asks of a significant portion of the UK infrastructure and construction industry.
UK infrastructure faces a variety of roadblocks to success
The current government’s Major Projects Portfolio consists of an unprecedented 244 projects requiring delivery.
The 12 contractors identify “an established and clear correlation between investment in infrastructure and GDP growth – with the industry one of the most effective, efficient, and sustainable ways of spreading jobs and skills across the country”, emphasising the need for political action.
The Blueprint for Growth asks that the future government will:
- Depoliticise infrastructure.
- Appoint a Cabinet Minister responsible for infrastructure.
- Increase private investment in public infrastructure.
- Timely, holistic decision-making on key areas.
- Improve budget setting for infrastructure schemes.
- Efficient risk allocation.
- Investment continuity.
- Simplify the judicial review process.
- Mandate consideration of the national interest.
- Self-certification system to accelerate delivery of infrastructure projects.
- Transform the Apprenticeship Levy.
- A flexible immigration system.
The collective behind the Blueprint for Growth represents a significant commitment from the UK infrastructure and construction industry to collaborate with policymakers, industry stakeholders and government agencies to engineer a stronger UK infrastructure sector.
“Such ambitious targets can only be achieved with a long-term approach”
Toby Gill, CEO of IPG Energy, commented: “It is great to see top tier contractors from the UK construction industry come together to publish their Blueprint for Growth, covering a number of recommendations for improvements across various aspects of the sector.
“Among them is a call for a shift from short- to long-term thinking within the industry.
“From building wind farms or transportation infrastructure in support of the wider net-zero energy transition, to decarbonising activities to reduce its own carbon impact, the infrastructure and construction sector plays an undeniably vital role in ensuring key national targets such as Net Zero 2050 are met.
“Within the Blueprint for Growth, the UK’s top contractors highlight that, because of the stop-start funding nature of many of our national infrastructure projects, and the uncertainty this breeds around funding and political commitment for such projects over the long-term, the sector struggles to attract the scale of investment it needs to maximise its potential.
“This precisely mirrors the number one challenge Tier 1 companies face when transitioning from trusty diesel to the expense and uncertainty of renewable fuels: despite clear ambition to decarbonise, the leap is too costly and risky to take at scale today.
“The same applies to the wider decarbonisation of key infrastructure projects. There is no doubt that construction companies want to decarbonise, but the risk implications without the long-term commitment of key backers such as the UK government make it untenable.
“Mirrored in this document is the understanding that the move to more longer-term thinking will lead to greater decarbonisation sooner, by ensuring the sense of security and consistency needed for the industry to take bolder and more ambitious steps towards decarbonisation, a concept that we at IPG Energy wholeheartedly support.”
