Rob Mallows
James Heath: The future of transport in UK cities
The Commission’s chief executive James Heath gave a speech to the Move 2023 conference in London today (21 June 2023) exploring the questions and emerging themes which are shaping our work on urban transport ahead of the publication of the UK’s second National Infrastructure Assessment later this autumn. Our job at the National Infrastructure Commission...
Cornwall’s green energy ambitions
Members of the Commission secretariat travelled to Truro on Tuesday (6 June) for discussions with local political leaders, infrastructure operators and businesses and voluntary sector bodies from across the county – and energy was high up the agenda. Hosted by senior officials from Cornwall Council and joined by the leader and chief executive, the session...
Commission welcomes net zero duty for Ofgem
The goverment has confirmed plans to amend the Energy Security Bill, currently before the House of Commons, to give the energy regulator Ofgem a new explicit net zero duty. The amendment will legally require the regulator to ensure its decisions assist the governmen’s drive to deliver zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and boost investment...
Clean energy and better recycling among North Yorkshire’s infrastructure priorities
Members of the Commission team were in Harrogate and Knaresborough yesterday (26 April) meeting local political leaders and businesses from across North Yorkshire and learning more about the county’s priorities around delivering net zero, creating a low-waste economy and the challenges of digital connectivity in what is a largely rural region. A roundtable in Harrogate’s...
Stronger coordination of environment and community benefit needed to get planning timescales back on track
A new data platform to share environmental information and effective ways of addressing the impact of proposed infrastructure projects will enable stronger protection for natural habitats and speed up schemes crucial to the net zero transition, according to a new report by the National Infrastructure Commission. The review by the government’s official infrastructure advisers also...
Commission response to Energy Security Plan: positive steps forward but questions remain
Giving an initial response to the publication of the Powering Up Britain: Energy Security Plan and related documents today (30 March 2023), Sir John Armitt, Chair of the National Infrastructure Commission, said: “Today’s set of announcements includes steps forward in some areas, but in others, based on what we’ve seen so far significant questions remain...
Commission to review major projects planning policy
The National Infrastructure Commission has been asked to review the current approach to National Policy Statements (NPSs) and identify how the planning system could create greater certainty for infrastructure investors, developers and local communities. The independent advisory body has been commissioned to undertake the review as government prepares to publish an Action Plan on Nationally...
Transport and infrastructure funding to fore in discussions with capital’s leaders
With the capital bathed in bright winter sunshine, members of the Commission spent yesterday (19 January) meeting London’s business and political leaders to better understand the city’s infrastructure priorities. This was the sixth regional visit to inform the second National Infrastructure Assessment, to be published this autumn. On the banks of the Royal Victoria Dock...
Bridget Rosewell steps down as a Commissioner
Bridget Rosewell is stepping down as a National Infrastructure Commissioner and will now support the Commission as a specialist adviser in the run up to the next National Infrastructure Assessment. The change in role follows Bridget’s appointment as a non-executive director of the UK Infrastructure Bank. During her seven-year tenure at the Commission, Bridget contributed...
Letter to Planning Minister from Design Group Chair: Design excellence & National Policy Statements
Commission Design Group Chair Sadie Morgan has written to Lucy Frazer, the Minister of State for Housing and Planning at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, setting out the value of including clear guidance on the value of design in all of the National Policy Statements which set the strategic priorities for the...
James Heath: Incentivising the delivery of resilient infrastructure
James Heath, Chief Executive of the National Infrastructure Commission, spoke at a roundtable event on Wednesday (30 November 2022) organised by Resilience First and PA Consulting, in collaboration with the Cabinet Office, on building a ‘whole society’ approach to national resilience. In his remarks, James reflected on how to incentivise behaviours that support building resilience....
Act now to secure energy and climate security, NIC and CCC advise new Prime Minister
The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) and the Climate Change Committee (CCC) have written to the new Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP, setting out the positive case for action on energy efficiency, low carbon heat and renewables in the face of the current cost of living crisis. The letter, published today (Wednesday), sets...
Commission hears from Bristol about city’s infrastructure priorities
Friday last week (22 July) saw Commissioners in Bristol for our fourth regional visit of the summer, meeting the city’s Mayor and local leaders and businesses, and local residents, to understand the city’s infrastructure challenges. After a one-to-one meeting, Sir John Armitt and the Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees co-hosted a roundtable with representatives from...
West Yorkshire leaders engage on region’s infrastructure goals
Yesterday (5 July) saw Commissioners up in Leeds for our third regional visit of the summer, meeting West Yorkshire leaders and businesses to better understand the city region’s infrastructure priorities. After a one-to-one meeting, Sir John Armitt and West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin co-hosted a roundtable with representatives from the combined authority, Leeds City Council,...
Government response endorses Commission vision for greenhouse gas removals
The government has today (Tuesday 5th July) published its formal response to the Commission’s 2021 study, Engineered greenhouse gas removals. This study recommended that government commit to the wide scale deployment of new engineered greenhouse gas removal technologies by 2030 in order to meet its climate change obligations. The Commission concluded that these technologies offer the...