UK’S infrastructure on the up, but now it’s all about delivery – CBI/AECOM

Almost half of firms believe the UK’s infrastructure has improved over the past five years, but only a quarter think it will pick up in the next five years, and two thirds suspect it will hamper the country’s international competitiveness in the coming decades, according to the 2016 CBI/AECOM Infrastructure Survey.
November 7, 2016 Read time: 2 mins

Almost half of firms believe the UK’s infrastructure has improved over the past five years, but only a quarter think it will pick up in the next five years, and two thirds suspect it will hamper the country’s international competitiveness in the coming decades, according to the 2016 CBI/3525 AECOM Infrastructure Survey.

Delivery of key projects already in the pipeline emerged as the top priority among the 728 firms surveyed. Delivery of IS$47 billion (£38 billion) of investment in the rail network through Control Period 5 and US$18.5 billion (£15 billion) of investment in the UK’s motorways and A-roads through the Road Investment Strategy rank highly, as does delivery of a new runway in the South East  and HS2.

The Government’s recent track record has encouraged firms. Infrastructure has become a core part of the country’s long-term economic agenda since 2010, and 42 per cent of firms see the policies undertaken since the start of the 2015 Parliament , like the creation of Transport for the North, as positive steps.

However, confidence that overall infrastructure will improve in the coming five years has fallen 16 percentage points since the 2015 Survey. A significant majority of firms are not optimistic that infrastructure in aviation, energy and roads will improve, with only digital bucking the trend (59 per cent of companies expect improvements in this area). Moreover, the majority of firms feel the UK is unlikely to be more internationally competitive in 2050 than it is now, and almost half are dissatisfied with the current state of their local infrastructure.

To secure delivery of the most important projects, business group the Confederation for British Industry and infrastructure services firm, AECOM, want to see the Government reaffirm spending plans and press ahead with implementing policy decisions to ensure projects are delivered in full over the course of this Parliament.

Related Content

  • January 30, 2012
    Co-operative infrastructure reduces congestion, increases safety
    ITS Japan's Chairman Hiroyuki Watanabe talks to ITS International about his country's progress with cooperative infrastructures and how the experience gained to date can benefit similar initiatives elsewhere. Japan gave the rest of the world a taste of the cooperative infrastructure future when, in 1996, it went live with the Vehicle Information and Communication System (VICS). Designed to provide real-time traffic information and alerts to in-vehicle navigation systems with the dual aims of increasing safe
    Read More
  • March 26, 2015
    A new era for England’s major roads
    Highways England, the government-owned company which will deliver the largest investment in England’s major roads in a generation, officially launches next week. The company, which replaces the Highways Agency from 1 April, will invest US$16 billion in delivering a raft of improvements on England’s motorways and major A roads making roads even safer, improving traffic flow and reducing congestion. The improvements over the first five years of operation include: 112 major improvements, including 15 sma
    Read More
  • August 3, 2015
    Europe-bound drivers fail numbers test
    With almost six million of the UK’s motorists expected to head to Europe before the end of 2015, new survey by RAC European Breakdown exposes Britons' ignorance of what to do if in distress on overseas roads. It found that most drivers can't name the European Union (EU)-wide three-digit number to call in emergencies. Only 38% know the correct answer is 112. Worryingly, 10 per cent think the normal UK 111 non-emergency NHS line extends its reach throughout the EU. A further 6 per cent confuse their contin
    Read More
  • September 24, 2012
    European Commission proposal to increase research and investment in Europe’s transportation sector
    The EU is launching a new plan, Research and Innovation for Europe’s Future Mobility, that aims to develop a long-term policy strategy that among other goals, is to reduce road casualties to almost zero and greenhouse gas emission from the transport sector by 60 per cent in 2050. The plan doesn’t propose any new EU funding or regulations but instead proposes an initiative to meet with Member States and other relevant stakeholder to discuss policy priorities and objectives. Speaking about the plan, Vice Pres
    Read More

Highlighted Content