How to design an infrastructure strategy for the UK

The absence of a national strategy for infrastructure has serious implications. New projects are dreamt up, reframed, scrapped and reinvented, seemingly with little consideration of long-term objectives. This results in uncertainty, delays and increased costs for taxpayers and consumers.

This is not just the fault of individual organisations or people. There are also systemic problems with government institutions and the politics of infrastructure decision making in the UK.

This report identifies three challenges which must be overcome if we are to build an effective national strategy for infrastructure. It argues that the Government should create a commission for public engagement, which would reduce costly delays by giving people a genuine opportunity to influence decisions.

How to design an infrastructure strategy for the UK is the fourth in a series of reports on improving infrastructure decision making in the UK. See all of our related reports, comment and explainers.