On 3 June, the UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnston, said he wanted to use the crisis caused by the pandemic “to tackle this country’s great unresolved challenges” and get the UK construction sector moving.
Almost three months on from the government’s “Build, Build, Build” announcement, we reveal some of the latest infrastructure announcements below.
Infrastructure plans
Part of the plans included an acceleration of infrastructure schemes, and money for school building and hospital projects – totalling £4.43 billion.
To create new homes, both social and economic infrastructure must be put in place, including utility services, transport routes, schools and healthcare facilities, New developments require the construction of new infrastructures, such as laying new roads or establishing public transport links – creating fresh opportunities for construction suppliers.
New rules
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Robert Jenrick announced that he would overhaul the planning system so that the UK can build “more good quality, attractive and affordable homes faster – and more young families can finally have the key to their own home.”
Mr Jenrick wants to streamline the planning system, reducing unnecessary bureaucracy and speeding up development.
Under Mr Jenrick’s way of doing things, there will be new rules and land will be designated in one of three categories: for growth, for renewal and protection.
“Land designated for growth will empower development – new homes, hospitals, schools, shops and offices will be allowed automatically,” Robert Jenrick said.
The government plans on protecting areas of natural beauty and the green belt but insists the new rules will allow developments to be built at a much faster pace.
Roads
The Prime Minister highlighted road projects as a key area for government investment to get Britain moving.
This area of infrastructure is promising as many of the government’s road schemes have also had detailed plans approved in recent months. One example of this is that the government gave its backing to £282 million improvements to junction 6 of the M42 back in May 2020.
According to Glenigan data, road projects during the three months to July added up to £971 million, which was a rise of 85% on the previous year.
Plan with Tracker Intelligence
The public sector is open for business.
Knowledge of construction activity at both a national and regional level is key to being able to respond and identify opportunities within the market, therefore investing in a procurement platform that will help you to find, bid for and win new construction tenders should be a priority for your business.
Tracker’s Commercial Projects provides unique and comprehensively researched data that is exclusive to the Tracker business solution tool, such as planning permissions for projects like the ones mentioned above, to support suppliers to engage early with buyers.
