Infrastructure opportunities

Is Britain on the verge of a mini infrastructure renaissance? Such words come naturally after periods of gloom and what some politicians characterise as ‘under investment’, but there are signs, which is good news for engineers.

The National Infrastructure Plan (NIP), which was published last month, shows how the government plans to spend £375bn on energy, transport, communications and water projects over the next two decades. Although there will be no new money coming from the public purse, it has created a focus for other investors such as the big pension funds and the insurance industry, which says it will spend another £25bn over the next five years.

This is also good news because more than half of the 646 projects included in the NIP are earmarked to be funded by the private sector. As all good civil engineers know, you can’t pave a road with good intentions alone. In the immediate term at least, the government’s spending review of 2013 included a commitment to a £50bn capital investment in 2015, which will be aimed at ‘roads, rail and bridges’ among other projects. The current crop of proposals includes some major items, which are all gaining momentum.