Civils contractors today welcomed the confirmation of the planned creation of a National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) by saying its foundation must herald a new era for UK infrastructure that prioritises rapid project delivery.
Speaking at the London headquarters of CECA member Skanska, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones MP announced that the new body would fix the foundations of UK infrastructure by bringing infrastructure strategy and delivery together into a unified body which will support the implementation of the Government’s ten-year infrastructure strategy.
Commenting, Director of Operations for the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) Marie-Claude Hemming said: “CECA members, and the construction industry more widely, deliver optimal outcomes when there is a climate of certainty around investment decisions, long-term planning, and business confidence.
“In recent years the UK has suffered from a cycle of underinvestment in infrastructure and political instability that has undermined investor confidence.
“The creation of NISTA by the new UK Government must herald a step-change in how we plan and deliver infrastructure in this country, whereby strategy and delivery work hand-in-hand to drive beneficial outcomes for clients, consumers, and the supply chain.
“It is only by unleashing the full potential of the UK’s infrastructure sector to deliver, maintain and upgrade our vital transport and utility networks that we will be able to transition to the zero carbon economy of the future and deliver the economic growth required to allow our communities and businesses to thrive.
“CECA looks forward to working with our members, NISTA, and all other stakeholders to ensure that the ten year infrastructure strategy the UK Government intends to roll out over the next decade is done so in full partnership with industry and succeeds in delivering the high-growth, zero-carbon economy of the future.”
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