The UK government's Infrastructure Strategy

Realising the potential of their 10 year plan

Sophie Timms

_{Corporate Affairs Director}
_{Kier Group}

Also on this panel:

Dr Janet Young CBE

_{Director General,}
_{Institution of Civil Engineers}

Saurabh Bhandari

_Director,
_{Cabinet Office}
_{Office of Government Property}

Sarah-Jayne Pizzie

_{Deputy Director, Construction}
_{Ministry of Justice}

Mike Reader MP

_{Member of Parliament for Northampton South}

Quick read

The 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy is beginning to shift how government approaches infrastructure, bringing social and economic assets into a single framework for the first time.
Confidence in the pipeline is emerging as the defining issue. Funding is available, but consistency and follow‑through will determine whether industry invests in skills and capacity.
Delivery remains uneven, with structures and incentives still largely operating at departmental level rather than place level.
Skills challenges are less about overall numbers and more about specialist capability, location and the ability to move people between programmes.
Place‑based planning is gaining traction, but scaling it will require better data, clearer incentives and sustained coordination across government and industry.

This session returned to a core question that ran throughout UKREiiF: what does it take to move from strategy to delivery at scale? One year on from the publication of the 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy, the discussion focused less on ambition and more on whether the conditions are now in place to deliver against it.

A clear shift is underway. The integration of social and economic infrastructure within a single strategy was consistently described as a meaningful step forward, changing how public assets are understood. Rather than viewing infrastructure as individual projects or buildings, the discussion framed it as a system of capabilities that enable services, productivity and resilience in places.

Saurabh Bhandari described this as a material change in how government thinks about its estate and infrastructure more broadly.

We’re starting to see infrastructure as capability, not just physical assets.

Saurabh Bhandari, Cabinet Office

_{^{Saurabh Bhandari}}_{^{highlighted the strategy’s recognition of social infrastructure as a material shift, reframing public assets as capabilities that enable services and long term value in places.}}

Early examples were shared, including land release and the repurposing of existing assets, where this more integrated thinking is beginning to influence decision‑making. However, there was a consistent acknowledgement that this shift is not yet embedded. Delivery structures, funding flows and accountability still sit largely within departmental boundaries, limiting the pace at which place‑based approaches can scale.

Certainty emerged as a recurring theme.

Certainty in direction. Certainty in funding. Certainty in pipeline.

_{^{Illustrated highlight from the panel discussion - by}}_{^{David Lewis}}

Mike Reader MP reflected on how a lack of consistency in recent years has shaped industry behaviour, often slowing investment and reinforcing caution. While the strategy provides a clearer long‑term signal, the challenge is whether that consistency will be maintained long enough for industry and investors to respond with confidence.

Certainty is what unlocks investment - without it, the system still hesitates.

Mike Reader, MP

There was broad agreement that funding alone is not the primary constraint. Both public and private capital are available, but fragmented pipelines and stop‑start delivery continue to limit how that investment is deployed. Confidence in future workload was repeatedly highlighted as the factor that will determine whether organisations invest in skills, innovation and long‑term capacity.

The discussion also returned to how infrastructure is planned and delivered. While strategy is becoming more joined‑up, delivery often remains project‑by‑project.

Dr Janet Young CBE challenged this directly, emphasising the need to move beyond individual schemes towards a more integrated, systems‑led approach.

We need to think in systems, not schemes.

Dr Janet Young CBE, Institution of Civil Engineers

_{^{A clear consensus emerged:}}_{^{the strategy is moving in the right direction, but delivery at pace and scale now matters most.}}

This includes better alignment of planning, consenting, spatial strategy and supply chains, alongside earlier engagement with communities and clearer visibility of future demand. Without that alignment, the benefits of long‑term planning risk being diluted at delivery stage.

Skills and capability generated sustained discussion. While headline figures often point to shortages, the panel challenged the idea that this is primarily a numbers issue. Instead, the pressure is increasingly felt in specialist roles, in particular locations, and in the lack of mobility between programmes.

Examples were shared where major programmes are beginning to coordinate training and workforce planning, allowing skills to move between projects over time. However, this is not yet standard practice, and without a consistent pipeline it remains difficult to scale.

Procurement was identified as a key lever for addressing this. While social value requirements are now well established, the discussion highlighted a continued focus on inputs over outcomes. There was strong support for approaches that prioritise long‑term employability, transferable skills and sustained careers, including programmes supporting people with lived experience into employment.

Sarah‑Jayne Pizzie emphasised the importance of measuring what matters over the long term, rather than what is easiest to count in the short term.

It’s not about ticking boxes - it’s about creating lasting outcomes.

Sarah-Jayne Pizzie, Ministry of Justice

The conversation closed with a focus on place.

Place‑based asset planning was consistently seen as one of the most significant opportunities to improve how infrastructure is prioritised and delivered. Better use of data, combined with a deeper understanding of local need, has the potential to shift decision‑making from individual projects to long‑term outcomes at a community level.

However, as with the wider strategy, the challenge is not in the principle but in the implementation. Moving from pilots to wider adoption will require government, industry and local partners to align incentives, share data more effectively and maintain commitment over time.

Key take-aways

Confidence drives delivery: A clear and consistent pipeline will determine whether industry invests in skills, innovation and long‑term capacity.
The system still needs to catch up with the strategy: Delivery structures remain largely departmental, limiting the pace of place‑based approaches.
Skills challenges are becoming more specific: Focus is shifting towards specialist roles, regional demand and workforce mobility between programmes.
Procurement can unlock long‑term value: Moving from inputs to outcomes will strengthen both delivery and workforce sustainability.
Place is the next phase of delivery: Scaling place‑based planning will depend on better data, aligned incentives and sustained collaboration across sectors.