The government promises ambition – what’s the key to realising it?

The government has shown bold ambition in its approach to upgrading Britain’s infrastructure. It is radically rewriting the rules to ease planning, has launched GB Energy to help deliver on the clean energy transition, and is encouraging investment to support the construction sector through the National Wealth Fund. All of this is to be welcomed, but it will take this and more to deliver sustainable growth.

A key pillar of the government’s approach is the Planning and Infrastructure Bill currently going through Parliament. Once passed, the bill will expedite the planning process, keep legal challenges within more reasonable bounds, empower development corporations, and extend existing urban areas while simultaneously cutting red tape and compliance costs.

Critically, it will also enable a more strategic approach to development by creating a duty for combined authorities to prepare a strategic plan for their area, instead of local authorities acting independently of one another.

These plans will no longer require unanimous support, meaning that single actors will not be able to block plans that are otherwise well supported.

As things stand, the construction sector is not in position to meet the ambitious targets set by the government

Nevertheless, it must be remembered that it will ultimately fall to industry to deliver the projects needed to meet the government’s targets. This will require the government to set the overall strategic direction and to provide a framework for success, including consistent investment, policy certainty and effective delivery mechanisms.

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill is the first piece of the puzzle, but we still eagerly await the rest – not least the 10-year Infrastructure Strategy and the details of “Invest 2035”, the new industrial strategy.

Ramping up delivery

As things stand, the construction sector is not in position to meet the ambitious targets set by the government. If that is to change, a radical shift in our approach is needed. That must include improvements in how construction embeds new technologies.

Historically, construction has struggled to do this at scale when compared with other sectors such as manufacturing. While there are multiple factors at play, the absence of long-term investment programmes, inconsistent policies and mixed messaging have all impacted appetite for investment and, as a result, project delivery.

Only by harnessing innovative methods of construction at scale can we hope to meet the country’s ambitious building targets

If we are to make up lost ground and speed delivery at scale, we will need to adopt more innovative methods by creating standardised specifications for material parts so that we can use modular building methods and reap the productivity gains of off-site production.

Productisation, along with early value chain engagement, would vastly increase efficiency, cut costs, time and improve quality and sustainable outcomes. It is to be hoped that ambitious projects such as the Ministry of Justice’s New Prison’s Programme, which has adopted a modern methods of construction (MMC) delivery plan, will be an important turning point in greater adoption.

Only by harnessing these innovative methods of construction at scale can we hope to meet the country’s ambitious building targets.

Solving the skills shortage

Industry will have a crucial role to play in solving some of society’s greatest challenges, from securing resilience and security in our energy systems to developing connected and cohesive communities, as well as protecting and enhancing ecosystems. However, the country’s growing skills shortage poses a significant risk to our chances of overcoming these challenges.

In March, the government announced £600m worth of investment to train up to 60,000 more skilled construction workers by 2029. This is a helpful contribution, but we need more than four times that number of additional workers according to the Construction Industry Training Board’s estimate that 250,000 workers will be needed by 2028.

We cannot afford to waste resources on siloed approaches

At present, there are over 35,000 job vacancies, with the majority unfilled due to a lack of candidates with the required skills. Tellingly, that is the highest rate of any sector.

The responsibility to bridge the skills gap does not sit with the government alone – those of us in industry must do our part. But it is collaboration that will be key.

Government, academia and industry should coordinate to maximise the impact of investments into early careers by ensuring that efforts are mutually supportive. We cannot afford to waste resources on siloed approaches.

A collaborative path forward

The scale and complexity of Britain’s infrastructure calls for a more integrated industry. The current market is defined not by scarcity, but by overwhelming demand. This presents an unusual and valuable opportunity, where collaboration between firms can optimise delivery and impact.

A central coordinating mechanism is essential. The newly formed National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority, which aims to provide a long-term strategy to the project pipeline, could go some way to achieving this. However, it is crucial that procurement routes support the drive for industry advancement and productivity, with a strong emphasis on innovation and industry collaboration.

>> Also read: Fast-track to the future with the Planning and Infrastructure Bill

>> Also read: 10-year infrastructure strategy pipeline will require new approaches from industry

>> Also read: We urgently need a government that can stoke industry optimism

Ultimately, the construction industry will need to grow if the ambitious targets are to be met. Existing approaches have taken us this far, but that is still significantly short of where we want and need to be.

Nothing less than a radical departure is required if the UK is to realise the targets set by the government. Though the scale of the task ahead could seem daunting, the scale of opportunity is of equal size.

Neil Sansbury is managing director UK & Ireland at Ramboll