With only six months to go the 2015 General Election, civil engineering contractors are calling for a 10-year investment plan in UK infrastructure.
The Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) has published proposals aimed at securing economic growth in the next parliament and beyond. The Infrastructure Decade highlights the need for unprecedented investment in the UK’s transport and utilities networks over the next ten years if the UK is to maintain its place as a leading global economy.
CECA say that congestion on road, rail and air will be a challenge whichever party is elected on May 7 - and the incoming Government will also have to get to grips with investment in energy capacity to ensure demand does not outstrip supply as existing power stations are decommissioned.
The paper sets out a number of recommendations to achieve this, including :
- An independent commission for infrastructure, established with cross-party support to analyse the strategic opportunities and challenges facing the UK, identify the best way to respond, and then deliver projects which are on time and on budget.
- An annual infrastructure statement to Parliament by the UK government to detail progress made in the past year and set out future plans. This would sit alongside the current National Infrastructure Plan.
- Implement the recommendations of recent government work to develop more collaborative delivery models for delivery of construction projects.
- A review to streamline the Hybrid Bill process of approval for mega-projects like HS2 and Crossrail
- The creation of dedicated overarching transport bodies for major cities outside London, driving investment to tackle congestion on road and rail
- Creation of an ‘infrastructure corridor’ across the North of England, for the first time looking at how transport and utility improvements could be delivered under a single project
Commenting, CECA Chief Executive Alasdair Reisner said:
“The return to economic growth is increasing demand on transport networks while, at the same time, decarbonisation means improving much of our energy infrastructure. All this must be achieved at a time when consumers are demanding lower bills and public money is tight."
“Ahead of the General Election on 7 May 2015, CECA asks all political parties to recognise that the next ten years are crucial for UK infrastructure."
“Get it right and we could see vibrant economic and social growth. But failure will push the UK even further down the global competitiveness league table.”
Click here to read The Infrastructure Decade
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