Reeves pledges planning reform shake-up to boost growth January 26, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has pledged to cut red tape for building homes and infrastructure in a bid to speed up planning application approvals. Ahead of Reeves’ speech next week on economic growth, the government unveiled its new Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which will be introduced in the spring and help push its plan to build [...]
Digital 9 Infrastructure: Investec slams ‘shocking’ asset sale January 23, 2025 Investec analysts have slammed the sale of Digital 9 Infrastructure’s assets as part of the investment trust’s wind-down, describing the process as “extremely poor for shareholders”. Digital 9, once a darling of the infrastructure sector, fell into chaos after governance concerns and funding problems emerged throughout 2023. The trust voted to wind down in March [...]
Courtroom challenges to planning decisions to be limited, No10 announce January 23, 2025 Courtroom challenges to infrastructure planning decisions are set to be limited, No10 has announced in what they framed as a bid for growth. Attempts to challenge major infrastructure schemes via the judicial system, such as nuclear plants, train lines and windfarms, will be restricted, Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed. The Prime Minister said the measure, [...]
Government too involved in HS2, warns top infrastructure adviser January 15, 2025 Too much government involvement in HS2 has hampered delivery and fuelled massive cost overruns and delays, according to a key infrastructure adviser. Sir John Armitt, chair of the National Infrastructure Commission, told MPs he had “never been convinced by the governance structure of HS2,” having been influenced by his own experience delivering the infrastructure for [...]
Metro mayors to control railways and housing in ‘landmark’ devolution plans December 16, 2024 Mayors of large cities and regions across England will soon be able to take control of local infrastructure and skills projects under a new devolution bill, which was introduced in Parliament today. The English Devolution White Paper will give metro mayors – directly elected regional leaders who chair combined authorities – significant new powers in [...]
Newts can’t be ‘more protected than people who need housing’, Rayner says December 8, 2024 Angela Rayner has said the UK should not be in a situation where “newts are more protected than people” who need housing, ahead of a government shake-up of planning. The deputy Prime Minister suggested protecting the country’s wildlife should not always be prioritised over building new homes, after Sir Keir Starmer last week reiterated his [...]
Costain wins major HS2 contract December 4, 2024 The deal will see Costain supply tunnel and lineside mechanical and electrical system over a seven-year period.
Upstream to the innovation borough November 28, 2024 | Sponsored A decade ago, Fraser Nelson sparked a sobering debate about the health and structure of the United Kingdom’s economy. He compared the UK’s GDP per capita with that of each state in the United States, concluding the UK would “be the 2nd-poorest state in the union”, just ahead of Mississippi. Since then, achieving significant economic [...]
Virgin Media O2 sells Cornerstone Towers stake as revenue dips October 30, 2024 Virgin Media O2 has announced the sale of a stake in its mobile towers joint venture, Cornerstone, to infrastructure investor Equitix, bagging £186m in cash. The deal, which leaves the telco with just over 25 per cent of Cornerstone after selling 8.33 per cent, involves a 16.66 per cent stake in a holding company that [...]
‘Build baby build’: Break infrastructure ‘inertia’ to boost growth, report urges October 18, 2024 Ministers have been urged to break Britain’s infrastructure “inertia” in a bid to turbocharge the planning system and ramp up growth, according to a think tank report. Streamlining the consent process, empowering key decisions in the national interest, fixing ambiguous laws, and updating policy documents would all contribute to the UK’s ability to build infrastructure [...]