National Infrastructure Commission Chair Sir John Armitt has written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer to set out four tests which the forthcoming National Infrastructure Strategy will need to meet, in order to deliver the ambitious, long-term vision for the UK’s infrastructure set out in the National Infrastructure Assessment.
These are:
- A long term perspective – the strategy must look beyond the immediate spending review period and set out the government’s expectations for infrastructure funding and policy up to 2050
- Clear goals and plans to achieve them – where the government endorses an Assessment recommendation, this should be backed up with a specific plan, with clear deadlines and identified owners, to ensure the Commission can easily check progress
- A firm funding commitment – the government should commit to providing funding in line with the upper limit of the agreed guideline of 1.2% of GDP a year invested in infrastructure
- A genuine commitment to change – recommendations such as devolving funding for urban transport to cities and a national standard for flood resilience are fundamental policy changes, and the strategy needs to respond in the same spirit.
