03.10.12
Infrastructure Alliance calls for action
The Government must take immediate action to upgrade the UK’s infrastructure, a new report urges.
The Infrastructure Alliance has published a report, ‘Avoiding the infrastructure crunch: getting Britain working’, which calls for “shovel-ready” maintenance and minor works to begin straight away.
The report also recommends an analysis of the future demand for skills, to ensure the UK has the necessary workforce available to deliver projects in the long term.
Investment must be rebalanced throughout the UK to rebuild activity in communities and support a more even economic recovery and develop a greater consensus of the country’s infrastructure needs, detailing how they can best be paid for and delivered.
Lord O'Neill, chairman of the Strategic Forum for Construction said: “Too often the choices politicians make about where to invest, simply isn’t informed by a strategic view of the long-term demands on Britain’s infrastructure.”
ICE director general Nick Baveystock said: “Infrastructure has a pivotal part to play in enabling our economic recovery – not only does it drive jobs and growth but it builds the skills we need to compete internationally.
“Greater political consensus is imperative, not only on the programme of works in the National Infrastructure Plan but on finance and delivery mechanisms, allowing government to drive down risk and make infrastructure an attractive investment - providing industry and investors greater certainty against which to plan.”
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