Rob Mallows
We’re recruiting: Director of Policy
Are you ready to help us solve some of the UK’s biggest economic infrastructure challenges? Do you enjoy solving complex problems and have the ability to lead teams to provide world-class policy advice – while having fun at the same time? If so, this opportunity will be of interest. The Commission is looking to recruit...
Three new experts appointed to the Commission
The Treasury has today announced that Jim Hall, Kate Willard OBE and Nick Winser CBE have been appointed as new Commissioners to sit on the National Infrastructure Commission. Each has been appointed by the Chancellor for a five-year term and will begin work with the Commission on 1 May. Nick will replace Professor David Fisk CB,...
Commission welcomes “scale of ambition” of Energy Security Strategy
The Government has announced its ambition to boost the UK’s energy self-reliance with an expansion of clean energy generation, including new nuclear plants and a quicker expansion of solar and wind power, in its new Energy Security Strategy. In response, Chair of the National Infrastructure Commission Sir John Armitt said: “The government should be credited...
Electric Vehicle Strategy “a promising package” but delivery remains key
The government’s has today published its Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure Strategy setting out how it plans to ensure the UK is “EV-fit” by 2030, the date after which sales of new petrol and diesel cars and vans will be banned. The new strategy sets out a number of actions to boost the pace of roll-out...
Commission highlights “slow progress” on infrastructure plans to deliver levelling up and net zero goals
The government is at risk of failing to deliver the aims of its National Infrastructure Strategy unless it picks up the pace with detailed policy design and implementation, the UK’s official independent infrastructure adviser has warned. The National Infrastructure Commission says that clear, long term goals are now in place across most infrastructure areas and...
“Ambitious implementation programme” essential to success of Levelling Up
The government has today published its Levelling Up white paper setting out its programme to ensure economic opportunity is more evenly spread across the whole country. It includes invitations to nine areas to create new county-wide deals and negotiations over ‘trailblazing’ devolution expansions deals with Manchester and West Midlands mayoral combined authorities. The white paper...
Regional water plans a positive step towards drought resilience for England
Commitments by water companies to take action together to secure long term water supplies for consumers and businesses in England have been welcomed by the Commission as an important step towards achieving long term resilience to drought. Consultations are now underway on new draft water resource management plans by the five regional water resources groups....
Five lessons from our overview of infrastructure challenges
Last month the Commission published its Baseline Report for the second National Infrastructure Assessment (NIA2), identifying key challenges for the coming decades that we will explore in more detail in that Assessment. I worked as lead author on the report, pulling together work from across the Commission’s team into a single narrative. Here are some...
“A realistic plan for major long term investments”: Commission responds to Integrated Rail Plan
Responding to the government’s publication of its Integrated Rail Plan, Chair of the National Infrastructure Commission Sir John Armitt said: “We now have a realistic plan for major long term investments to improve rail for the North and Midlands in the face of public spending constraints. In our advice to government the Commission made the...
James Heath speech to WEETF on delivering Gigabit-capable broadband
The following remarks were shared by the Commission’s Chief Executive James Heath at a WEETF eForum event on 2 November on the theme of ‘Delivering Gigabit-capable full-fibre broadband’. “I should start off by declaring an interest. Before I joined the National Infrastructure Commission, I worked at DCMS and was involved in designing the government’s broadband...
In sight but out of mind: designing infrastructure to support mental health
An opinion piece by Ann Zhang, economist at Frontier Economics and Chair of the Commission’s Young Professionals Panel. A Breath of fresh air: Green space and mental health If there is one lesson that lockdown has taught me, (aside from the fact I will never be a star baker), it is that access to green...
Fundamental shift in funding to local level needed to help level up English towns
Levelling up towns will require a shift in government’s approach from announcing multiple ringfenced pots of money – many of which councils must compete over – to instead handing power to local areas to deliver their own infrastructure strategies with five-year devolved budgets, according to the UK’s official infrastructure advisers. In a report launched today...
Government must get UK ahead of the game in crucial engineered removals sector
The UK government must commit to the wide-scale deployment of new greenhouse gas removal technologies by 2030 in order to meet its climate change obligations, according to a report by the National Infrastructure Commission. The report sets out how the engineered removal and storage of carbon dioxide offers the most realistic way to mitigate the final slice of emissions expected to remain by the 2040s from sources...
New members to be appointed to Commission
A unique opportunity for leaders from across different fields to bring their experience to bear in helping to inform the Commission’s future work programme. A new recruitment process is underway to appoint up to three new members to the National Infrastructure Commission. The collective role of Commissioners is provide expert, impartial advice to the government...
Commission backs virtual pavilion at climate summit
The National Infrastructure Commission is supporting the creation of a Built Environment Virtual Pavilion at this November’s COP26 Climate Summit in Glasgow. The pavilion – developed by the UK Green Building Council – will act as a smart virtual presence at the summit, providing a platform for a range of bodies involved in infrastructure and...