Weekly round-up - 10 April 2015

Crossrail 2 should be new government priority, so should potholes, EDF halts Hinkley site preparation and engineers have the happiest jobs.

Jackie Whitelaw
10 April 2015

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1. The London Chambers of Commerce ‘London Demands’ business manifesto wants the next government to specify Crossrail 2 completion within the National Infrastructure Plan, prioritise Underground upgrades in the post-election Spending Review  and, unntil a new runway is built, enact short-term measures to boost capacity such as more early morning arrivals at Heathrow. 44% of London businesses see Crossrail 2 as very important for coping with population increase. 42% see Bakerloo and Piccadilly line upgrades as very important. 84% want expansion at either Gatwick or Heathrow, it said. 

2. EDF Energy has halted site preparation for Hinkley Point C nuclear power station until funding for the scheme is resolved. EDF will complete roadworks currently underway.

3. In 2015, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the Transport and Logistics sector will supersede the levels seen in 2014, according to KPMG’s latest Transport Tracker. The first quarter of 2015 has already seen completed global transactions worth £6.7 billion, and further acquisitions valued at £6.7 billion have already been announced[1]. In 2014 the increase in the volume of transactions resulted in £39.6 billion worth of deals. A key trend is the increase in private investment in transport infrastructure operators in the sector. Governments in both emerging and mature markets increasingly lack the financial flexibility to ensure sufficient investment in infrastructure. This increasingly comes from private investors, who are in turn in search of stable sources of income.

4. Engineers have the happiest job in the world, closely followed by teachers and nurses, according to analysis carried out by the Guardian. The paper’s aggregation of nine different surveys found there was no link between high salaries and happiness.

5. Confederation of British Industry has estimated that the UK's economy expanded by 0.7% in the three months to March, up from 0.6% in the previous quarter. It said growth would probably gain momentum in the current quarter. The main risk to the UK economy was related to ongoing eurozone worries and Greece's bailout package, it said.

6. A government-backed scheme to build 100,000 new homes for first-time buyers, by exempting developers from section 106 planning agreements, has received interest from over 50,000 people, according to Public Finance. The Starter Home programme, which was announced by Prime Minister David Cameron last December, is intended to provide homes that can be sold at 20% below market rates because builders do not have to reach planning gain deals with local authorities – estimated to add an average of £15,000 to the cost of building a new home.

7. The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) has launched a new website containing what it says is the world’s largest collection of engineering and technology video content intended to make it easier for engineers to share knowledge. The IET.tv platform includes over 6,500 multidisciplinary engineering and technology videos, with around 750 being added every year.

8. AECOM has appointed Carlos Pone as chief executive, Africa. He will join the firm in August from ABB where he is currently country managing director in the United Arab Emirates.

9. The British Chambers of Commerce has upgraded its UK GDP growth forecast for the next two years, from 2.6% to 2.7% in 2015, and 2.4% to 2.6% in 2016, due to stronger than expected growth in household consumption and services. The latest forecast also makes the BCC’s first prediction for UK growth in 2017 - at 2.6%.

10. Potholes are the umber one gripe in a survey of over 2000 people by the Institute of Advanced Motorists with 70% saying reducing the number of them should be the top priority for the next government.  The next biggest concern for road users was that of general road maintenance, with more than 64 per cent of those surveyed stating this needed more attention. Third in the list was reducing the number of road accidents and casualties for all age groups, with 52 per cent of respondents saying it should be a greater government concern.