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 [...]
Treasury chief unveils new infrastructure body after HS2 fiasco October 10, 2024 The National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) will bring oversight of UK infrastructure under "one roof."
‘Incredibly frustrating’: Delay to £9bn Lower Thames Crossing condemned October 8, 2024 The government’s decision to significantly delay a verdict on whether to continue with the UK’s biggest road project has been condemned by transport and business groups. The £9bn Lower Thames Crossing (LTC), a road tunnel linking Kent and Essex, was already facing backlash over mounting costs and a £300m planning application which totals a whopping [...]
Post-Brexit regulation caused ‘three lost years’ of infrastructure investing September 19, 2024 The outdated post-Brexit regulation around investment trust cost disclosure set the UK back by three years on infrastructure, asset manager Abrdn has revealed. Cost disclosure rules, which required investment trusts to ‘double dip’ their fee reporting, have finally been lifted by the government and the Financial Conduct Authority today, leaving the trust industry overjoyed. “What’s [...]
Reeves to scrap key infrastructure bodies as major projects suffer September 15, 2024 The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) and the Infrastructure Projects Authority (IPA) will be merged into a single body.
Balfour Beatty awarded part of National Grid’s upgrade project September 13, 2024 International infrastructure group Balfour Beatty has been awarded a £363m contract as part of National Grid’s RIIO-2 framework. The contract is part of the Bamford to Twinstead Reinforcement project, which aims to reinforce East Anglia’s electricity network as part of the country’s green energy build-out. The company will replace the existing electricity network with a [...]
Former Labour health minister warns PFI feuds threaten to disrupt hospitals September 9, 2024 A new report warns of public-private disputes in recent years, which have emerged alongside growing pressure on public finances.
Next London runway won’t be at Heathrow or Gatwick, says Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary August 28, 2024 The viability of Heathrow and Gatwick Airport's multi-billion plans for extra runway capacity have been questioned.
Balfour Beatty bullish on UK infrastructure outlook as profit hits £98m August 14, 2024 Investors were concerened after Chancellor Rachel Reeves unveiled plans to axe a string of UK infrastructure projects last month.