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Long term trends in the water industry
Today, the Commission has published four new charts (historic water data) with data stretching back to the 1960s and 1970s showing how water supply, metering, bills and investment have changed through the decades. This new data is presented along with more recent series from Ofwat and other organisations (where it is available), to show the...
Reducing planning delays requires update to national policy statements, says Commission
The government has today (30 August 2022) published a policy paper outlining steps which seek to speed up the planning process for major national infrastructure projects (NSIPs). Through amendments to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, government intends to enable ministers to set a shorter statutory timeframe for Development Consent Order examinations and to speed...
Commission repeats call for “urgent and fundamental reform” of local transport funding
The government has today published a formal response to the National Infrastructure Commission’s September 2021 report on how infrastructure can support economic growth and quality of life in English towns. The Commission’s central recommendation was a shift towards handing power to local areas to deliver their own infrastructure strategies with five-year devolved budgets, and a...
Armitt on drought resilience: fixing leaks, reducing demand, building supply
In a comment piece for The Times’ Red Box, Commission Chair Sir John Armitt today sets out steps to help reduce the risk of future severe drought in England. The piece, reproduced below, argues for further action on identifying leaks, expanding water metering and reducing consumer demand, and building new supply and transfer infrastructure. Sir...
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...
Commission hears from West Midlands on region’s infrastructure priorities
What West Midlands needs to build a thriving regional economy – and the role infrastructure can play in helping achieve that goal – was on the agenda for the Commission’s regional visit to Birmingham last week, the second in a series of six visits to cities and city regions around the country designed to help...
Getting cities moving past “Covid fog” critical for success of levelling up
Enabling people to make more trips in and around our major cities is a challenge that city leaders and national government must tackle head on by making urban transport networks work better – within carbon constraints – if they are to achieve levelling up, according to a new report from the National Infrastructure Commission. The...
Government’s next steps on freight: welcome ambition, detailed plans now needed
This week the government published its long-term plan for the freight sector, Future of Freight. Government committed to publishing this in its response to the Commission’s 2019 study, Better Delivery: The challenge for freight. The Commission’s main conclusion in that study was that through the adoption of new technologies and the recognition of freight’s needs...
First stop Manchester for national infrastructure advisers’ fact finding tour
Ensuring Greater Manchester has the infrastructure in place to meet the needs of the year 2050 will be on the agenda as the government’s official advisers on infrastructure policy kick off a national tour with a visit to the region today (Monday 13 June). Maximising the opportunities provided by HS2, the importance of further investment...
James Heath: Reaching out to inform the next Assessment
There is a quote from Einstein that is, I think, very relevant to the world of public policy. He reportedly said: “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer”. While I might disagree with the smart bit (!), Einstein’s observation about the value of having time and space to...
James Heath’s speech to Utility Week Live: climate adaptation and resilience
The Commission’s Chief Executive, James Heath, today (17 May 2022) gave a keynote address at Utility Week Live on climate adaptation and resilience. The session, held at the Birmingham NEC, explored utilities’ approaches to adaptation planning and how they are seeking to build resilience to respond to the impacts of climate change already present, as...
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,...
James Heath sets out Commission’s approach to surface water flooding
James Heath, Chief Executive of the National Infrastructure Commission, addressed a Westminster Energy, Environment and Transport Forum event today (19 April 2022) on Priorities for water management. James’ speech sets out the approach the Commission is taking to its ongoing study on surface water flooding, including exploring the role of governance, performance standards and investment...