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Hold tight – we’re in a General Election year.
Antony Oliver
11 January 2024
Really interesting times ahead for infrastructure and that’s for sure....
And most likely really challenging times as well as we continue to balance the aspiration of investment to drive growth with the reality of actual delivery.
As my first Infrastructure Podcast guest of 2024 Gill Plimmer explained this week, a General Election year is sure to make the policy commitment that sits behind desired delivery even harder.
“It's hard for the government to keep focused and it is likely that the decision to give the go ahead or not may get derailed and shunted forward to become the problem of the next government,” she said. And as infrastructure correspondent at the Financial Times for more than a few election cycles she should know.
While there is much to do to transform infrastructure delivery, there are three key issues on my mind that really need to get resolved in 2024 if we are to make progress and deliver the promised £805bn infrastructure pipeline of projects destined to transform our energy, transport, water, housing and communications landscape.
1. Sort out the UK’s planning quagmire: we have a process to accelerate Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) but it relies on government updating the National Policy Statements that underpin the process to take account of new policies around net zero and the environment. It is bonkers that, for example, planning delays for grid connection mean we are all paying renewable generators not to generate; that congestion busting public transport projects, new social housing projects or new low carbon electricity generation is being delayed.
2. Create policy clarity and consistency: while the private sectors investment community has plenty of money available to invest in infrastructure – the so-called dry powder – the global competition is huge, not least from the US where policies such as the Inflation Reduction Act are offering attractive subsidies to investors. The UK cannot afford to miss out on this investment.
3. Embrace new technology and modern methods: the industry has been talking about change for decades. Perhaps as we approach the 30th anniversary of the Latham Report it is finally time for the whole supply chain – from client down – to truly “construct the team” and embrace collaboration and the new technologies and techniques that have been threatening to transform the sector ever since.
We know that infrastructure investment has the power to transform the UK and the world in the face of massive societal challenges such as climate change, pollution, the cost of living crisis, housing shortages and social injustice. And it seems that never before has there been such support for investment by the public and private sector.
Now is therefore the moment to accelerate the change that will make it happen. We have to make sure that out politicians, industry leaders and grass roots delivery teams recognised that, for all the reasons to delay, this moment has arrived in 2024.
Seriously, I don’t know where the time has gone! But it’s the second anniversary of the The Infrastructure Podcast this week and my guest on episode 102 takes me back thirty years to the University of Southampton where I studied for my Degree in Civil Engineering. In this landmark episode I talk to the ever-fascinating Prof. Jeni Giambona, Associate Dean of Knowledge Exchange and Enterprise and a Member of the Centre for Resilient Socio-Technical Systems at the University of Southampton Business School. Jeni has worked at the sharp end of higher education and research for the last two decades and specialises in helping to link academia with industry and so drive investment in innovation as a key part of boosting the sector’s productivity and outcomes. Episode 102 is now live here and on Apple, Spotify, Amazon and all your favourite podcast hosts. Have a listen as we discuss: ⭐ Why embracing a systems approach is crucial; ⭐ The need to double down on collaboration and supply chain engagement; ⭐ Why investing in new data and digital technologies can help us to truly understand how infrastructure works. 🐶 And, of course, we hear why owning and training two 70kg Newfoundland dogs is a recommended, life changing experience. Enjoy the episode - and if you like the podcast please do subscribe leave a review to encourage others to join in!
Seven months ago, my guest on this week’s episode of The Infrastructure Podcast was working for construction giant Mace as a work winning director. Today Mike Reader is MP for Northampton South and chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Infrastructure. That’s quite a change! Episode 101 is now live here and on Apple, Spotify, Amazon and all your favourite podcast hosts. As Mike explains, the government’s current focus on infrastructure delivery as the route to economic growth and improved living standards across the UK, makes Parliament and exciting place for a former civil engineer to be right now. And after last week’s conversation with Construction Minister Sarah Jones, this week’s episode provides an opportunity to hear the back bench viewpoint on the challenge of delivering the government’s bold infrastructure ambition. Quite often that means understanding how to realistically balance local community and constituency needs with the national priorities – not always easy but certainly doable, according to Mike. Have a listen as we discuss a range of issues including: ⭐ Dealing with the realities of life as MP ⭐ The role of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Infrastructure ⭐ The supply chain’s role in supporting government’s growth ambition ⭐ Can the Planning and Infrastructure Bill transform our approach to delivery? ⭐ Is building 1.5M new homes in 5 years possible? ⭐ How can infrastructure professionals better understand politics? ⭐ What exactly is a Jack Tzu? Enjoy the episode - and if you like the podcast please do subscribe leave a review to encourage others to join in!
Well can you believe it! We have reached Episode 100 of The Infrastructure Podcast! And it’s a special one as we head to the heart of the UK government to hear first-hand from Construction Minister Sarah Jones MP about how she hopes to accelerate infrastructure investment to deliver the government’s overarching mission for economic growth. Episode 100 is now live on my website here and on Apple, Spotify, Amazon and all your favourite podcast hosts. The podcast was recorded live in front of an invited audience of professionals at last week’s Twin Talks breakfast meeting hosted by Bentley Systems on the 43rd floor of their London office – just before the Chancellor Rachel Reeves set out her plans to cut through the planning and environmental blockers and accelerate a rake of nationally significant infrastructure projects such as the much discussed Heathrow third runway, East West Rail and the Oxford Cambridge Arc, Lower Thames Crossing, a raft of new reservoirs and a splurge of national wealth fund cash to underpin electric vehicle charging. And as Sarah Jones pointed out, we need a long term strategy that cuts through the planning delays, works with the private sector to boost delivery efficiency, and, of course, brings the public on board - “the answer can't always be no; but it's got to be the right thing in the right place for a purpose people understand." Have a listen – and if you like the podcast please do subscribe leave a review to encourage others to join in!
With the Chancellor Rachel Reeves this week backing infrastructure as the driver for UK growth this week it is fitting that my guest on the Infrastructure Podcast this week is Katrina Dowding , president and chief executive of the UK arm of Skanska , one the world’s biggest and most innovative contracting businesses. Have a listen here and on Apple, Spotify, Amazon and all your favourite podcast hosts. Infrastructure is without question back in fashion and politicians across the UK and around the world are falling over themselves to ease the delivery of the vital assets needed to drive growth. Not an easy task… As Katy makes clear, the modern contracting business has to be in shape to meet this future opportunity. And it is getting there. That means having the right skills and the innovative mindset and the ability to help clients think about wider outcomes rather than simply chase lower costs. To do this it is vital for modern contractors to generate sufficient profits to invest in the future- to invest in training, in technology, in the supply chain and in the communities that they serve. And having worked in the business for 36 year, Katy underlines the passion and single minded commitment needed to succeed in a difficult business. Enjoy the episode.
It’s a big week in the USA as Donald Trump is sworn in for his second presidential term while firefighters and communities continue to battle wildfires in California – a great moment for The Infrastructure Podcast to go Stateside to chat to Steve Burrows CBE, Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) representative for the US West Coast. Have a listen here and on Apple, Spotify, Amazon and all your favourite podcast hosts. As a world leading stadium designer with Arup, then AECOM, then WSP, Steve has spent most of the last 40 years working in and around California and the San Francisco Bay area so is acutely aware of the political, social and environmental challenges facing the US right now. His perspective from on the ground in California provide great insight into how the next four years under President Trump might pan out and, crucially, how infrastructure professionals can meet the challenges that lie ahead. And in particular, his first-hand view and experience of wildfires and the tragedy unfolding in Los Angeles is illuminating – an area that of course in no stranger to fire risk but that is without question now dealing with an unprecedented combination of climatic impacts – heat, drought and high winds. It’s a challenging moment for a politically divided US, now led by a climate change sceptical administration with a buoyant but debt-laden economy. Have a listen - I think you’ll gain some interesting take-aways – and I have no doubt we will be returning to the US on the podcast pretty soon to hear more.
The shocking pictures of wildfires bringing devastation across huge swathes of Los Angeles is a graphic reminder that the infrastructure profession must accelerate its work to plan for and adapt to a very definitely changing climate. My guest this week on The Infrastructure Podcast is Jim Hall, the 160th President of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and a lifelong advocate for embracing a more sustainable approach to infrastructure design and management. He explains why our current “underperforming, over-expensive infrastructure”, is failing to create the infrastructure systems needed for a sustainable future. Have a listen here or via Apple Spotify or any of your favourite podcast providers. As professor of climate and environmental risks at the University of Oxford, Jim’s research has specialises on risk analysis for infrastructure systems and adaptation to climate change. As a member of the UK independent Committee on Climate Change Adaptation from 2009 to 2019 and a contributing author to the Nobel Prize-winning Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change he is without question and authority on what needed to secure the future for the planet. And as a commissioner for the soon to be wound down National Infrastructure Commission since 2022, and the founder and chair of DAFNI: Data & Analytics Facility for National Infrastructure, Jim has been working to ensure that the sector is fit for the challenges ahead. Enjoy the episode – please do subscribe, like, share and leave a comment – it all helps to spread the infrastructure word!
The Infrastructure Podcast is back for 2025 and kicks off this morning with an interview with Nicholas Cumins the new chief executive of infrastructure software giant Bentley Systems – a business at the heart of the sector’s vital data and digital transformation. More than ever, the government is banking on infrastructure investment to help drive the economy in the new year and beyond. It is clear that the power of technology and, in particular, the need for the infrastructure sector to embrace the accelerating power of open data and new AI driven tools is a critical step in helping to accelerate delivery of this investment ambition. Have a listen at here or via Apple Spotify or any of your favourite podcast providers where Nicholas set out how this now public business is investing to ensure it is best placed to help the global sector deliver better outcomes, faster and with less impact on the planet. Nicholas stepped into the hot seat six months ago when former ceo, founder and driving mind for the business Greg Bentley moved up to chair the now public company, ending three decades of family control. In the episode we drill into his challenges and passions including: ⭐ The power of open data ⭐ The role of Artificial Intelligence ⭐ Bentley’s new deal to work with Google ⭐ Why investment in maintaining existing infrastructure is crucial Enjoy the episode – please do subscribe, like, share and leave a comment – it all helps to spread the infrastructure word!
What better way to round off The Infrastructure Podcast’s 2024 than with a special two-part interview with infrastructure legend Sir John Armitt, Chairman of the National Infrastructure Commission! Part 1 is now live at here and on Apple, Spotify and all your favourite podcast hosts. Part two will follow just before Christmas. Sir John steps down from the NIC in the Spring after nearly seven years as chairman and as the organisation joins with the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) to form NISTA – the all-new National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority. To be honest, having known Sir John for more than a couple of decades, I always find a conversation with him to be both an education and a privilege. His clarity of thinking and depth of knowledge across a vast range of sectors is captivating and a real pleasure to witness. As is his passion for ensuring that infrastructure truly acts as a catalyst for improving lives and creating a better world – he is the modern-day exponent of Tredgold’s ambition for “directing the great sources of power in nature”; the genuine expert voice of experience, calm and common sense. The podcast is an opportunity for him to discuss the challenges that face NISTA as the UK attempts to accelerate investment in the vital infrastructure needed to drive economic growth, adapt to a changing climate and improve the lives of communities. And it also presents an moment to reflect on the successes and work still to do since Sir John helped bring the NIC to life in 2015. The issue is hot! Barely a day goes by without a new announcement it seems. I sat down with Sir John just before Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer announced his “measurable milestone” to fast-track planning decisions on at least 150 major economic infrastructure and couple of days before Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner announced plans to accelerate planning decisions on housing. As he points out, infrastructure is an exciting and fast moving place right now as the government presses hard to accelerate delivery of its £40bn plus pipeline of ambition. So enjoy part 1 of this conversation as Sir John sets out his thinking on infrastructure strategy, planning reform, boosting productivity and turning policy into consistent delivery. I think you’ll gain some interesting take-aways – I certainly did! Enjoy the episode.
You may have noticed that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer highlighted the “measurable milestone” to fast-track planning decisions on at least 150 major economic infrastructure projects in his latest "plan for change" last week. You may also have been scratching you head wondering how that might actually be achievable. Well as luck would have it, I sat down a couple of days earlier to record this week’s episode of The Infrastructure Podcast with UK infrastructure planning guru Robbie Owen, partner and head of infrastructure planning and government affairs at law firm Pinsent Masons . Robbie makes a great case for reform – certainly action – if we are to get anywhere near these milestones! Have a listen here In particular, we discuss the recommendations of the recent Banner Review into the Judicial Review process that has for too long bedevilled the progress of Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects and the likely impact and opportunities of the forthcoming Planning and Infrastructure Bill becoming law (some time in 2025 probably?!). And as we move towards 2025 we also chew over the likely impact of the merger of the National Infrastructure Commission with the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) to create the new NISTA – the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority – and of course the reality of a promised ten-year infrastructure strategy. We cover a lot of ground. It’s vitally important stuff and Robbie certainly, as always, brings it to life. So enjoy the episode.
Courage. The word came up rather a lot when I met Hannah Pathak, international managing director at Forum for the Future at the recent FM Conway Ltd Collaborative Sustainability event at which she was the keynote speaker. Hannah made a powerful impression on those in the room and underlined that when it comes to tackling climate change and achieving our net-zero emissions goals, the decisions we make in this decade will affect the trajectory of the next century. We are at a critical “choice point” for humanity facing decisions that are not easy – so, as she put it, we need the courage to transform; together, collaboratively. Hannah is my guest on The Infrastructure Podcast is and a long-standing champion for driving action across business to help accelerate the change needed to transform our approach to sustainable infrastructure. Have a listen at here - Hannah explains the challenges and opportunities so clearly. Certainly we need to apply our technical minds but, as Hannah pointed out at the FM Conway Ltd event, the Latin root of the word “courage” links it to the idea of “heart” and passion for a cause. True change, especially in the face of climate change, requires not only intellectual and technical understanding but also emotional investment. Ultimately it just makes good sense for investment in our infrastructure to generate more sustainable economic, social and environmental outcomes. And that usually means thinking harder rather than working harder. But is also means having the courage and passion to do thing differently. And that’s not easy. Enjoy the episode. Hannah is an inspiration for sure.