Today sees the second reading of the Planning & Infrastructure Bill in the House of Commons.
With a majority in the House of Commons of more than 150, there is no chance that the government’s flagship planning legislation will be thrown out at second reading.
However, just to make sure, the bosses of 13 big (mostly foreign) construction companies have banded together to instruct MPs to say Aye when the time to vote comes.
The letter reads: “We write as 13 of the UK’s leading Tier 1 contractors and consultants, responsible for designing, financing, constructing, operating, and maintaining the infrastructure that keeps the UK economy moving, people housed, secure and connected, and the lights on.
The Planning & Infrastructure Bill is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to unlock growth, accelerate critical projects, and strengthen the UK’s competitiveness. The choices made now will determine whether the country seizes this moment – or let it slip away.
“Communities, businesses and economic growth are being held back by a planning system that is too slow, uncertain, and costly. Delays to vital infrastructure – from transport to energy – are costing the economy billions.
“This bill is vital to ensure the UK remains a place where businesses can invest confidently and infrastructure can be delivered cost effectively and swiftly.
“Robust debate is crucial. However, we ask parliamentarians and government to approach the passage of the bill with the focus and urgency required. Homes, transport links, and energy projects must not be placed in limbo when they should be driving growth, prosperity and strengthening our resilience.
“We urge MPs to grasp the scale of this opportunity and support the Planning & Infrastructure Bill without diminishing its ambition. This is not just about cutting red tape – it’s about delivering a modern, world-class and affordable infrastructure system. The stakes couldn’t be higher. The UK cannot afford to wait. Now is the time for leadership and action.”
The signatories of the letter are:
- Chris Ball, president UK & Ireland, AtkinsRéalis
- Leo Quinn, chief executive, Balfour Beatty
- John Wilkinson, chief operating officer, BAM, UK & Ireland
- Alex Vaughan, chief executive, Costain
- Kate Kenny, Europe executive vice president and general manager, Jacobs
- Andrew Davies, chief executive, Kier Group
- Cathal O’Rourke, chief executive, Laing O’Rourke
- Mark Reynolds, executive chairman, Mace
- James Harris, executive chair, Mott Macdonald
- Katy Dowding, president and CEO, Skanska UK
- Scott Wardrop, chief executive, Vinci Construction
- Richard Offord, chief executive, VolkerWessels UK
- Paul Reilly, UK&I president and managing director, WSP
All who sign the letter state clearly in the first paragraph that they do so as representatives of their companies rather than in a personal capacity or as professional engineers for example. This is purely corporate.
More than half of the companies are foreign owned – UK subsidiaries of overseas entities. Corporate national identity can be complicated, of course. Laing O'Rourke's group headquarters are in Kent but it is Irish owned and Jersey registered. But for seven of the signatory companies there is no such ambiguity about their ultimate nationality, indicating that their motive is commercial rather than patriotic.
The list of signatories is similar – but not identical – to the names behind last year’s Blueprint for Growth, a construction industry manifesto produced ahead of the 2024 general election.
Changes in the unofficial self-appointed UK Big Construction lobbying club over the past nine month see the addition of Kier, Skanska and Jacobs but the departure of Galliford Try and Morgan Sindall.
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