Good luck, 10-year infrastructure strategy. You’re going to need it…

By Simon Rawlinson2025-07-07T06:00:00

Events will determine the impact of Labour’s intricate infrastructure proposals and the current government turmoil suggests the clock is ticking, says Simon Rawlinson of Arcadis

Think of a country where 50% of local authorities do not have a plan for housing, where electricity connections are allocated not by need but where they are positioned in the queue, and where objectors can delay crucial infrastructure through repeated judicial review.

This was the UK in November 2020, on the eve of the publication of a growth-focused infrastructure strategy. The strategy included bold steps to drive recovery in the economy, to create regional powerhouses, to decarbonise the economy and to support private investment in infrastructure.

Looking at the UK of 2025, all these problems remain. The urgent measures that were being rushed through in 2020 either took longer to implement or, in the case of planning reform, did not work at all.

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