Today’s National Infrastructure Strategy includes government commitments to increase emphasis on the quality of design in infrastructure projects.

Some of the ways government intends to do this is set out in a detailed annex (1.183 – 1.187, p41 of this document) which responds to the National Infrastructure Commission’s recommendations on infrastructure design and the Design Principles launched by the Design Group earlier this year.

Welcoming this move, Professor Sadie Morgan, Chair of the National Infrastructure Commission’s Design Group, said:

“First, it is a significant step forward to finally have a National Infrastructure Strategy. We are pleased to see the government’s strategy responds closely to the Commission’s own independent assessment of how infrastructure can help address the challenges of economic recovery and growth across the UK, as well as tackling climate change.

“We’re particularly pleased to see government back our recommendation for major national infrastructure projects to have a board-level design champion supported by a design panel, to help ensure schemes are built sustainably to a high standard, looking beyond their core function, to add value to communities and the natural environment.

“We will continue to encourage government and their project partners to use our Design Principles for National Infrastructure as a tool for achieving this. We hope today comes to be seen as a watershed moment in improving the quality of design across infrastructure for both local and national projects.”