National Infrastructure Delivery Plan sets out £100Bn of spending

National Infrastructure investment detailed in plan

The National Infrastructure Delivery Plan (NIDP) has been published today, which, for the first time, brings together all of the infrastructure priorities for the government up to 2021.

Established at the beginning of the year, the Infrastructure and Projects Authority, alongside the independent National Infrastructure Commission, will help policy makers to make better decisions on future infrastructure; support and improve project delivery; and provide the confidence needed by industry and investors.

It brings together the expertise of Infrastructure UK and the Major Projects Authority to improve delivery of major government projects.

Committing some £100Bn of funding into infrastructure by 2020-21, today’s document covers plans from large-scale housing, regeneration, schools, hospitals and prisons. The projects will bring significant investment into local communities, improving the economy and enriching lives.

As part of this local focus, the plan also highlights plans for the Northern Powerhouse and the connection of the great towns and cities, such as Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield.

Also featured within the document is the planned £425Bn investment in over 600 major projects driven by the National Infrastructure Pipeline. With projects such as Crossrail and Mersey Gateway Bridge well underway, the Government is keen to highlight the beneficial impact that infrastructure projects are already having on communities, pointing to the 3,000 individual infrastructure projects that have already been completed across the UK, from major new road improvements, rail station improvements to an extra 20GW of new electricity generating capacity.

As part of the government’s commitment to creating new housing, the house-building sector investment has been included in the NIDP for the first time; documenting the commitment with the release of public sector land for the construction of some 160,000 new homes and plans to directly commission the construction of 13,000 homes on four sites around London.

The adoption of the BIM Mandate is also a high priority within the report, with Building Information Modelling seen as key to delivering many projects. The government’s new Construction Strategy commits to reducing the cost of projects by £1.7Bn during this parliament through the use of innovation and efficiency.

The government is keen for all major contractors to follow these guidelines, with notice to work towards BIM Level 3. The report states: “The Government in conjunction with industry will develop the next generation of digital standards to enable BIM Level 3 adoption under the remit of the Digital Built Britain Strategy. The continued embedding of BIM Level 2 is crucial to support government adoption of BIM Level 3 at a later date. The IPA construction team will work with GCB departments and the BIM Working Group to support this development process and adoption of BIM Level 3 products as appropriate. Early adopter departments will seek to understand the full potential benefits of BIM Level 3, including increased capability for whole-life cost measurements.”

Key highlights from the report sees £483Bn of economic infrastructure investment including £58Bn of public investment in social infrastructure (part of the government’s commitment to spend over £100Bn in infrastructure by 2020-21).

A roads and rail investment package including the transformation of the Strategic Road Network will see over 100 schemes advanced, while the rail network will benefit from the largest rail modernisation since Victorian times, with the HS2 construction phase, Crossrail completion, and green lighting of Crossrail 2, plus the investment into the Northern Powerhouse.

In the private sector, over £100Bn will be invested in energy projects across electricity generation, transmission and in the North Sea, while improved broadband and mobile networks will also be supported targeted investment, legislative and regulatory reform and increasing the amount of spectrum available to mobile operators.

Speaking at the Institution of Civil Engineers, Commercial Secretary to the Treasury Lord O’Neill said: “From more modern transport links, to faster broadband, better infrastructure is at the heart of our plans to build a more productive economy and improve people’s everyday lives.

“That is why we are stepping up with the private sector to invest in some of this country’s most ambitious projects to create a more secure future for the next generation.

“This government is determined, even at a time of global uncertainty, to invest in the long-term projects that will make our economy and our country fit for the future.”

Chief Executive of the Infrastructure and Projects Authority, Tony Meggs said: “This plan sets out details of infrastructure investment by government and the private sector across all sectors and regions. It describes not only what we are going to build, but also how we will prioritise investment and work with industry to improve delivery.

“Through the new IPA we will continue to support delivery of the government’s priority projects and ensure we remain on track to deliver.”

Nick Baveystock, ICE Director General, said: “The National Infrastructure Plan has evolved steadily since 2010, and this new iteration of the plan and pipeline builds on the progress made, improving visibility for the supply chain and investor community. The shift in focus to delivery over five years sets a fresh tone – one of ‘spades in the ground’ – and we welcome the recognition that this must be complemented by a vision for the longer term. This brings to the fore the role of the National Infrastructure Commission in setting out the UK’s priorities up to 2050, and the importance of a robust needs assessment to underpin the vision.”

 

 

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