Manufacturers want Infrastructure Authority to take politics out of transport

The manufacturers organisation says that UK roads requirements have been neglected, throttling growth

The manufacturers organisation says that UK roads requirements have been neglected, throttling growth

Britain's manufacturers have called for an Infrastructure Authority to address the nation’s long-term transport and other infrastructure requirements to support growth and competitiveness.

The call by EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation is aimed at ending what it sees as decades of political-wrangling and poor planning over "the UK’s neglected road infrastructure, along with continued prevarication over expanding vitally needed airport capacity". The EEF believes that the authority could identify, plan and deliver major projects in a streamlined way, to overcome the situation where "projects are identified too late, with little or no time for a proper assessment or public debate.

Every five years, the authority would be tasked with developing a new National Infrastructure Assessment which would look ahead at the country’s infrastructure needs over a ten, twenty and fifty year horizon at both national and regional levels. It would identify future challenges and trends, and would also outline when decisions will need to be made.

It says its proposal is akin to the Airports Commission, but would be permanent, and goes beyond any ideas currently promoted by the main political parties, including Labour's plan for a national commission.

Commenting, EEF Business Environment Policy Adviser, Chris Richards, said: The neglect of our roads, the indecision on expanding airport capacity and, the agonising over high speed rail routes connecting our major cities have only served to exacerbate the feeling that Britain’s infrastructure is not geared up to support growth.

“We now have the opportunity to put in place a new independent system that will aid long-term planning supporting more of a consensus based approach in identifying future needs. All political parties need to commit to this in their forthcoming manifestos.”