Long-awaited infrastructure pipeline published

The government expects up to £775bn to be spent on infrastructure and construction in the next decade. 

The long-awaited National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline from the Infrastructure and Projects Authority outlines 660 projects and programmes across the public and private sectors in the pipeline of investment.

The 2023 NICP says over the period to 2025, the total value of planned public and private investment is £164bn. 

Over the longer term, the report estimates a planned and projected £700-775bn overall investment during the next 10 years.

The energy and transport sectors dominate the spending forecast. 

Some £64bn worth of investments include delivery through Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) in the next two years

Nick Smallwood, chief executive of the Infrastructure and Projects Authority, said: “This pipeline will support industry in making strategic and informed decisions about their long-term business and project planning. 

“While we are operating in an unprecedented time, we must nevertheless press on, we must save money for the taxpayer and we must adapt to this modern and rapidly changing world.”

The report says the NICP “provides a clear and robust assessment of infrastructure investment over the next decade”.

It says it provides industry and investors with a consistent view of planned and predicted spending on infrastructure projects and programmes and is “critical to support companies in their short and long term business planning, and enable them to invest in the right skills, technologies and practices for the future”.

The IPA, which reports to reporting to the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury, collates data from multiple sources to form the pipeline including the public sector, private sector and regulators. The pipeline is mainly related to England and does not include devolved spending in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and by local authorities.

To deliver the £164bn of planned investment over the next two years, the IPA estimates an annual average of 543-600,000 workers will be required across different industry groups including construction and engineering construction.

Stephen Marcos Jones, CEO of the ACE Group, on the publication of the infrastructure and construction pipeline, said: “The pipeline has the potential to serve as an important guide, enabling industry to anticipate, adapt and collaborate more effectively in an ever-evolving political and economic landscape. 

“Transparency and predictability are crucial for collaboration, and if delivered, the pipeline has the potential to foster an environment where industry and government can deliver the nation's evolving infrastructure needs.

“The ability to plan strategically is essential, and the publication begins to identify potential opportunities for growth and areas where industry might need to invest further in skills and technology.

“We acknowledge the increased focus on Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) outlined in the pipeline. Embracing MMC is a welcome move and a necessary one for the industry's future, aligning with commitments to innovation, sustainability and efficiency.

“The pipeline is published at a time when industry now seeks to navigate the immediate and longer-term challenges. The March budget and the possibility of a general election are significant backdrops to its publication. 

“Nevertheless, we encourage companies to leverage the insights that are provided in the pipeline”.

Richard Robinson, president – UK and Ireland, AtkinsRéalis, said: “The long-awaited National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline publication provides industry with a welcome view of planned investment in the short term but a rather uncertain picture of projected investment over the next decade.

“Whilst longer term uncertainty is somewhat inevitable, the known scale of infrastructure transformation required in the coming decades is not currently represented in the pipeline.

“Our industry now has a responsibility to demonstrate that we can deliver planned infrastructure programmes as efficiently as possible to increase productivity, boost investor confidence, and deliver growth across the UK's regions, alongside the skills and jobs required to achieve this.

“This means working collaboratively across the supply chain, accelerating the rate of digital adoption and focusing on collective outcomes to deliver on sustainability targets and to reaffirm that UK infrastructure across all elements is an attractive option for the private sector investment that will bolster future iterations of this pipeline.” 

Click here to read the full report.