Construction industry leaders today urged the incoming prime minister to recommit to the current 10-year infrastructure strategy and to speed up reforms to accelerate project delivery.
In an open letter signed by 28 built environment bodies and companies, including the CIOB, the sector warned “now is not the time to go back to square one”, and that infrastructure investment is “key to meeting many of the UK’s challenges”.
The process to elect a new Labour leader starts today (9 July), and it is widely expected that new Makerfield MP Andy Burnham will replace Keir Starmer. As yet there are no other candidates, so if Burnham wins unopposed, he could start in post as early as 20 July.
The letter said the 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy, just a year old, “gives industry and investors alike the certainty they long asked for” with a pipeline of £725bn of work in the next decade.
The letter added: “It [the infrastructure strategy] offers a clear picture of how to plan, prioritise, and deliver infrastructure that policymakers and industry support.
“Now is not the time to rip up plans and go back to square one. The sector will support the incoming government, but we need to stay focused on turning strategy into delivery: executing existing plans, building capacity, and fulfilling planned regulatory reforms.
“The infrastructure systems we build today will still serve society for decades, perhaps even centuries, from now.”
Other signatories of the letter include Build UK, Construction Leadership Council, Institution of Civil Engineers, Civil Engineering Contractors Association, Balfour Beatty, Kier, Costain and Skanska.
