The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) has published its pre-General Election Manifesto for Infrastructure, warning that failure to make new infrastructure projects a priority could result in “other competing nations taking our edge and the UK’s resilience diminishing”.
The ICE says that whichever party wins the General Election, they must place infrastructure at the heart of economic plans if the UK is to succeed in driving long-term growth and job creation.
And it urges those in power to take a “pragmatic” approach to migration, by growing its domestic workforce while recognising that engineering is a global industry and the UK must learn from other countries’ experience and expertise.
It argues that the next government needs to rebalance the UK economy by boosting city-regions outside the south east, such as investing in new transport links.
But at the same time it warns that lack of policy-making coordination with the Scottish and Welsh governments and the Northern Irish assembly could result in a lack of joined-up thinking on infrastructure investment.
There’s also a call for the next government to “deepen collaboration on the long-term issues that go beyond borders, such as shared decarbonisation targets”.
On skills shortages, it says there has been an over-concentration on boosting the numbers of apprenticeships, rather than the quality of the experience and the usefulness of the qualifications awarded.
"Whichever party wins the General Election, infrastructure should form a central plank of its economic policy – building on the progress already made and using infrastructure to realise the UK’s full economic potential."
Nick Baveystock, ICE
The ICE also backs the emerging notion of the “circular economy”, calling for a new Office of Resource Efficiency to promote better resource management in the public sector as a source of new business ideas and growth.
The ICE Manifesto highlights 10 key policies for the next government:
- Create an independent infrastructure body – ideally by restructuring existing Treasury body Infrastructure UK to reduce delay and uncertainty. It says the body should report to Parliament on the cost of infrastructure projects to consumers to determine their value for money, prioritising projects that offer “the greatest socio-economic benefits”.
- Act on the forthcoming Davies Commission recommendations to resolve the UK’s aviation hub issues.
- Work with local authorities to clear the road maintenance backlog.
- “Future proof” new infrastructure by embedding resilience into criteria used to make decisions on which projects go ahead.
- Implement Energy Market Reform fully and smoothly to entrench cross-party support for electricity decarbonisation.
- Commit to a long-term maintenance investment programme for flood risk management.
- Accelerate the devolution of transport powers by creating city-region transport authorities responsible for roads and all public transport.
- Commit to increasing the quality – not just the quantity – of apprenticeships so that young people achieve a qualification which sets them up for life.
- Ensure Ofsted rigorously inspects schools’ careers guidance so the range of “STEM” paths available, including vocational and technician roles, are communicated to students.
- Establish an Office for Resource Management in government to entrench a “circular economy” ethos across all departments and promote resource management as a driver of growth.
ICE director general, Nick Baveystock, said: “The benefits of infrastructure investment are now well established across political divides, resulting in some welcome schemes and initiatives and infrastructure rightly positioned high on the political agenda. We are, however, at a critical time – where the scale of the UK’s needs is large and growing, public finances remain tight and we are slowly emerging as an attractive market for infrastructure investment – it is vital therefore that we do not lose impetus.
“Whichever party wins the General Election, infrastructure should form a central plank of its economic policy – building on the progress already made and using infrastructure to realise the UK’s full economic potential. Failing to give it a front row seat, or opting for shorter term electoral wins, could lead to other competing nations taking our edge and the UK’s resilience diminishing.”
Main image: Flickr/Eric Hossinger
