Andrew Barker is Director of Dalcour Maclaren. In this feature he takes a look at the rollercoaster year construction had in 2020.
The end of 2020 is nigh! For reasons I need not explain, it has become famed as the ‘year to forget’ right across the globe. Mentally, we are so desperate for 2021 to be a clean slate; we all want to be positive and hope that vaccines early next year will start the ‘post-covid’ era. And let’s hope it is an era to celebrate!
But when you look back at the 2020 rollercoaster, it is not all doom and gloom across the infrastructure sector. Yes, there have been some knock-backs and hurdles, but there has also been a fair share of progress. Clearly the sector is vast, and the activity is widespread, but here are the highlights in my calendar based on what we, at Dalcour Maclaren, have been working on:
January – Hornsea One Offshore Wind Farm was declared fully operational and took the prize for the World’s Largest Offshore Wind Farm with a generating capacity exceeding 1GW for the first time.
February – UK Government approved the £106bn HS2 Project.
March – On 11th March, the government promised “the biggest programme of public investment ever” as part of its Budget for 2020, with planned investment in roads, railways, affordable housing, and broadband.
Just 7 working days later, on 23rd March, the PM announced the UK wide Lockdown; and it arrived with a brutal thump. Heathrow’s Third Runway and Gatwick’s Runways Extension Projects were both halted as Covid tore up their short-term plans.
April – Covid started impacting on Public Inquiries and Hearings as DCO programmes start to slip and increasing numbers of projects suffered delays.
May – Sizewell C Nuclear Power Station DCO application was submitted.
June – Crown Estate Scotland announced the launch of ScotWind Leasing, the first round of offshore wind leasing in Scottish Waters for a decade with the potential to deliver up to 10GW of total generating capacity.
July – Norfolk Vanguard Offshore Wind Farm DCO is granted allowing the development of 1.8GW of energy off the Norfolk coast.
August – following a window of hope in the Covid statistics in July, we all try to find a quiet little corner of England for a short respite from our home offices!
September – HS2 formally started construction as the main civil engineering contractors launched the first ‘shovels in the ground’. (Previous works focussed on preparatory work including design, ground clearance and demolition).
October – Wylfa Newydd nuclear power station DCO decision is delayed for a third time.
November – Boris launches a ‘Green Industrial Revolution’ with his 10 Point Plan, closely followed by the National Infrastructure Strategy and then Rishi Sunak’s Spending Review where Infrastructure is put in pole position.
December – could be an interesting month! 2020 has seen 17 Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects having their DCO’s granted with 6 further DCO decisions pending, some of which are long awaited but due by the end of the month.
Whilst 2020 has had its challenges, and I sympathise enormously for those working in sectors that have suffered the most, there are now vast opportunities out there. Boris is starting to set the direction; ‘building back greener and better’ is the headline and the National Infrastructure Strategy is a start to putting the meat onto the bones and providing the certainty that investors require to fill a funding gap which will require more than a little Polyfilla!
Our Prime Minister is hosting the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow in November 2021. The climate talks will bring together heads of state, climate experts and campaigners to agree coordinated action to tackle climate change. The UK needs to have clear plans in place well before then if we are to shine on the national stage and stand a strong chance of reversing the economic damage of 2020.
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