Last week saw the launch of State of the Nation: Infrastructure 2010, an overview of the UK's infrastructure produced by the Institution of Civil Engineers.
The report, an independent assessment of the UK's infrastructure designed to outline priorities for the new Government, scored our water, waste, transport, flood and energy systems against the backdrop of public spending cuts, the urgent need to shift to a low carbon society and a recovering economy. The South West produced its own briefing sheet to highlight the issues specifically relevant to the South West. Both the national report and the regional briefing sheet are available for download at:
http://www.ice.org.uk/stateofthenation
Incoming Chair of ICE South West, Nick Lyness said: "This report highlights that there are still many infrastructure issues which need addressing. The current financial climate could limit investment, but there are parts of our infrastructure here in the South West, which we cannot afford to neglect. Without sufficient funding, infrastructure will not be able to support the region's businesses and communities properly, with the knock on effects for economic growth and quality of life.
"The South West particularly needs more capacity built into our rail networks, highways and motorways. We are calling on the government to provide a clear roadmap for infrastructure priorities and their long-term delivery."