The UK government’s
National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline looks to be gaining ground,
but more needs to be done to drive investment, according to analysis by KPMG.
KPMG’s analysis
shows that energy remains the biggest sector by spend, with £189bn in committed
investment, although 73 per cent is allocated post-FY22. Transport is second
with £123bn, followed by utilities at £47bn, with funds in these areas being
allocated up to FY22.
Other key sectors
are housing and regeneration (£14.4bn), education (£14bn) and communications
(£6.8bn).
The average
infrastructure spend per capita is £907 across the UK. Based on a regional
breakdown, this is highest in the South West (£26.6bn), North West (£21.4bn)
and London (£19.8bn), and the lowest in the West Midlands (£5.3bn).
Jonathan White,
KPMG’s UK Head of Infrastructure, Building and Construction, said: “The current
National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline stands at £413bn. With the
forecast public pipeline currently accounting for 1.5% of GDP, it’s encouraging
that this is greater than the 1.2% recommended by the National Infrastructure
Committee, so let’s keep it up.
"However, total
public and private spend combined currently stands at 3.0% and is, therefore,
still below the 3.7% of GDP recommended by the United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals. More investment is needed to help bridge this gap.”
Commenting on the
regional and sector breakdown of the investment pipeline, Jonathan added: “The
Treasury has been criticised for regional disparity when it comes to
infrastructure investment, with London often being centre stage. This year, the
allocation of funds is spread out across the country.
"Notably, the
South West and North West are set to receive the greatest spend, but most of
this budget is allocated to nuclear power stations, such as the development of
Hinkley Point C in the South West and the decommission of four nuclear power stations
in the North West. For many, this will be disappointing when there is still a
pressing need for investment in transport and digital infrastructure in these
regions.
“Clearly, we’re
seeing high levels of spend in energy, which is taking a sizeable share of the
overall pot, although investment is largely earmarked for a longer time frame
beyond 2022. We know that the market will be looking to see how much of this
investment will go towards greener ways of generating power to help meet carbon
reduction targets.”
The current pipeline
has one fewer year in it than the previous period analysed in 2017, and
therefore fewer allocated funds. This format leads to value ‘falling out’ as
the five-year cycles of government departments and regulated utilities elapse.
This makes the pipeline less valuable as a way of forecasting future spend for
the construction industry, KPMG argues.
However, KPMG’s
report also notes that the current pipeline is 'moving in the right direction”
as a result of HM Treasury’s efforts to continue to improve the methodology and
accuracy of committed infrastructure spending.
