The UK government’s recent update to its infrastructure pipeline is a positive step forward. But what will it take to deliver it?
The publication of the UK government’s infrastructure pipeline last July marked a significant moment for the sector.
The online pipeline tool provides a UK-wide look at planned infrastructure projects and programmes over the next 10 years. It’s something the ICE and many others had long called for.
The pipeline covers not just what’s being and will be built, but crucially, when and how. It includes expected costs, project status, and estimated completion dates.
This long-term visibility gives investors the confidence to back projects and companies the certainty to invest in skills, technology, and delivery capacity. Without this, the government risks falling short on its ambitions for growth and net zero.
It’s a step-change in transparency.
But as the ICE pointed out last year, publishing it is one thing. Maintaining and delivering it is another.
So, it was encouraging to see that the pipeline was updated earlier this month.
The projects in the pipeline total £718bn of planned investment over the next 10 years.
Of these, £252bn will be publicly financed and £466bn will be delivered through private or a mix of public and private financing.
The £718bn figure differs from the £725bn commitment set out in the government’s 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy because the pipeline is based on the most recent Spending Review, while the strategy covers a longer time period.
Of the planned investment:
Scotland can expect around £25bn of investment between now and 2034-2035 due to the anticipated investment in onshore wind.
The West Midlands is likely to see around £23bn and north-west England about £16bn. Significant investment in transport, energy, flood defences and water and wastewater are likely to drive this uplift.
London has £59bn of planned investment with a further £30bn across the South East, linked to major investment in flood and coastal defences and water and wastewater work programmes.
To be included, total capital cost for economic infrastructure projects (including those in the digital, energy, flood risk, transport wastewater and water sectors) must pass a £25m threshold.
In all other sectors, schemes must have a value exceeding £15m.
Projects are included at various stages, from early strategic need identification to construction.
The government collected data from a range of sources to support the detail included in the pipeline.
In the March update, 21 major infrastructure bodies in the private sector, 13 central government departments, 9 combined authorities, and five regulators and independent public bodies contributed.
This is up from a total of around 40 in the 2025 version of the tool.
A key new feature in the pipeline is an estimate of the workforce needed to deliver on the investment planned over the next five years.
The National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), which published and coordinates the pipeline, predicts the annual average workforce will need to sit between:
Construction jobs account for over two-thirds of this demand, with education and health infrastructure contributing the largest share.
The highest demand for onsite workers comes from London and the north-west and south-east England.
The ICE has consistently argued that a robust infrastructure pipeline is essential to delivering better outcomes for the public.
The pipeline isn’t just a list of projects; it’s a signal of intent. And after years of uncertainty, it’s a positive signal that infrastructure professionals have been waiting for.
The institution has previously highlighted three key benefits of a well-maintained pipeline:
Market confidence: The UK has attracted the lowest level of investment in the G7 for 24 of the last 30 years. To deliver on its infrastructure needs, private investment will be crucial.
Greater clarity on projects worth investing in and improved certainty on forward-looking demand will allow investors and infrastructure supply chains alike to prepare.
The pipeline ticks many of these boxes. It is more detailed, more accessible, and more integrated than previous iterations.
But the ICE has also warned that pipelines must be kept up to date, linked to delivery plans, and underpinned by stable funding.
Without these, the pipeline risks becoming a wish list rather than a roadmap. NISTA has committed to regular updates, which is a positive step forward.
The updated pipeline is a welcome and necessary step forward for the sector.
But the real test lies ahead.
Publishing a pipeline is the easy part. Delivering it, consistently, transparently, and in the public interest, is where the challenge begins.
As the ICE has said before: infrastructure is not just about projects. It’s about people, places, and delivering better outcomes.
The ICE’s most recent State of the Nation report and 2025 paper focused on the pinch points to delivering the UK’s infrastructure ambitions highlight the reality for the UK.
Challenges lie ahead in workforce availability, supply chain capacity, planning reform implementation and funding model design.
The pipeline will be one key to ensuring the UK’s infrastructure plans are delivered, but it won’t solve these issues by itself.
Article originally published 18 July 2025.
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