Britain’s leading highways contractors, consultants and transport professional bodies have joined a cross-sector call urging the incoming Prime Minister to maintain the Government’s long-term infrastructure strategy, warning that political uncertainty risks undermining investment and delaying delivery.
In an open letter signed by more than 25 leaders from across the built environment, the sector argues that the UK’s infrastructure plans must be protected from short-term political change, describing stability and confidence as essential to delivering economic growth, improved transport networks and climate resilience.
Among the signatories are the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT), Balfour Beatty, Costain, Kier Group, Skanska UK, AtkinsRéalis, Arcadis, AECOM, Jacobs, Mott MacDonald, Ramboll, WSP and Royal BAM Group – organisations responsible for designing, building and maintaining much of the UK’s transport infrastructure.
The letter warns that the UK is about to welcome its seventh Prime Minister in a decade, arguing that repeated political change creates uncertainty for investors and the supply chain.
“We urge the new Prime Minister to re-commit to current infrastructure plans and speed up reforms designed to accelerate project delivery,” the letter states.
The industry points to the Government’s 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy, published last year, as providing the long-term certainty businesses and investors have been seeking. Alongside the Infrastructure Pipeline, the strategy sets out around £725 billion of planned projects and programmes over the next decade.
Rather than launching fresh reviews or changing direction, the signatories argue that attention should now focus on delivery.
“The real achievement of the strategy is its unifying vision,” the letter says. “It offers a clear picture of how to plan, prioritise, and deliver infrastructure that policymakers and industry support.”
The organisations add: “Now is not the time to rip up plans and go back to square one.”
The letter highlights the wide-ranging benefits of infrastructure investment, arguing it creates jobs, connects people with employment and education, boosts regional prosperity, improves energy security and helps the UK adapt to climate change.
It also cites the Elizabeth Line as an example of infrastructure’s long-term economic value, noting government estimates that the railway has delivered a £42 billion boost to the economy from an investment of around £19 billion.
The signatories conclude that the sector is ready to work with the incoming government but warn that success depends on consistency rather than continual policy resets.
“We have the knowledge to deliver the transformational infrastructure the UK needs,” they write. “What we require now is the political consistency to see it through.”
Read the whole of the letter here.
The full list of signatories is:
Dr Janet Young CBE, Director General, Institution of Civil Engineers
Milda Manomaityte, Chief Executive, Association for Consultancy (ACE Group)
Richard Whitehead, Chief Executive – Europe & India, AECOM
Heather Polinsky, Global CEO, Arcadis NV
Chris Ball, President, United Kingdom & Ireland, AtkinsRéalis
Darren James, CEO, Aureos
Philip Hoare, Group Chief Executive, Balfour Beatty
Suzannah Nichol OBE, Chief Executive, Build UK
Dr Victoria Hills, Chief Executive, Chartered Institute of Building
Sue Percy CBE, Chief Executive, Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation
Ben Goodwin, Director of Policy & Public Affairs, Civil Engineering Contractors Association
Rain Newton-Smith, CEO, Confederation of British Industry
Alex Vaughan, Chief Executive Officer, Costain
Ed Almond, Chief Executive & Secretary, Institution of Engineering and Technology
Jo Passingham, Interim Chief Executive, Institution of Mechanical Engineers
Richard Sanderson, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Europe & UK, Jacobs
Stuart Togwell, Chief Executive, Kier Group
Mark Reynolds CBE, Executive Chairman, Mace Construct and Co-Chair, Construction Leadership Council
James Harris, Executive Chair, Mott MacDonald
Neil Sansbury, Managing Director, Ramboll UK & Ireland
John Wilkinson, COO UK and Ireland, Royal BAM Group
Dr Valerie Vaughan-Dick, MBE BSc MSc CPFA PhD FRCGP(Hon), Chief Executive Officer, Royal Institute of British Architects
Justin Young, Chief Executive Officer, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
Rachel Fisher, Chief Executive, Royal Town Planning Institute
Katy Dowding, President and CEO, Skanska UK
Vincent Clancy, Chief Executive Officer, Turner & Townsend
Paul Reilly, President & Managing Director, WSP UK&I
(Picture – ICE)
