Conservative Party Conference 2010
An alliance of leading engineering and construction bodies has welcomed the recognition from Bob Neill MP, that Government must identify alternative sources of funding to ensure infrastructure continues to get built and also create a planning system that aids the delivery of nationally significant projects.
Speaking at an Infrastructure for Growth event at the Conservative party conference, organised by the alliance, the minister for local government and planning said there was need for “radical surgery” to public finances but agreed on the importance of investment in infrastructure.
“Infrastructure is critical – we are at one on this.” He said. “But we must identify new and imaginative vehicles to help attract private investment and create the right environment for it.”
Neill said the recently announced Tax Increment Financing initiative - where Local Authorities will be allowed to borrow against predicted growth in their business rates to fund major infrastructure projects - showed Government’s commitment to unlocking new funding sources.
He also reiterated Government’s commitment to speeding up the “back-loaded and adversarial” planning system and ensuring problems are identified at the beginning of the process, not when final decisions are due. “We must keep the best of the IPC but repair the democratic deficits.” He said.
Officer for the All Party Parliamentary Group for Infrastructure (APPGI), Mark Garnier MP, also spoke at the event. Garnier agreed investing in infrastructure was a good way to “enlarge the economy” and said it should get a “fair hearing” in the coming comprehensive spending review. In his key note speech, David Cameron also gave his backing to key infrastructure projects including high speed rail, carbon capture and storage and a Green Investment Bank.
Over 60 politicians, party members, business and industry leaders attended the Infrastructure for Growth reception – led by the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE), the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA), the Construction Products Association, CITB-ConstructionSkills and the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE).
The Infrastructure for Growth theme is a message all of the partnering organisations have been reiterating to Government ahead of the spending review. Unless infrastructure projects can be properly planned and delivered, and essential skills maintained and developed, the UK’s economic recovery could be jeopordised and emissions targets missed.
A high level lunch event with the Chief Executives of the alliance and five MP’s including Robert Buckland MP for Swindon and David Mowatt MP for Warrington, also took place at the Conservative party conference to discuss infrastructure and skills needs on a national and local level.