Engineers edge away from Armitt

The ICE’s biggest concern is that infrastructure and the civil engineering profession should be at the centre of the next government’s economic policy making.

ICE has previously stood full-square behind the recommendations produced by a review panel headed by Sir John Armitt on behalf of the Labour Party. This recommends abolition of existing policy machinery and starting again with a new national infrastructure commission.

The ICE is now calling on all political parties to take up a position on this issue, but its own position appears to have shifted a degree and it has significantly diluted its support for Labour’s infrastructure policy and the Armitt report.

ICE’s manifesto states: “ICE agrees with the Armitt Commission’s fundamental analysis of the issues holding back UK infrastructure development. The need for an independent body and the proposed Commission’s remit rightly centres on a set of solid, UK-wide infrastructure goals – however, ICE believes the goals could also be achieved by building on existing arrangements, rather than creating an entirely new entity. Restructuring HM Treasury’s Infrastructure UK into an independent infrastructure body, established through an Act of Parliament, would have the benefit of it being operational more quickly, reducing transition time. It would build on the infrastructure policy foundation already laid to avoid losing momentum.”

This is a not so subtle shift from the ICE’s position of 18 months ago when ICE director general Nick Baveystock said: “We support Sir John’s proposals and hope they are adopted by the main parties.”

The hottest infrastructure issue facing the next government is deciding which airport to expand, if any. The recommendations of the Davies Commission are expected to land on the next transport secretary’s desk in the summer. The ICE has no position on this issue other than to urge the next government to do something – make a quick decision and then act on it swiftly.

The ICE manifesto recommends 10 key policies. They are:

1. Create an independent infrastructure body - ideally by restructuring existing Treasury body Infrastructure UK to reduce delay and uncertainty
2. Act swiftly and boldly on the Davies Commission recommendations, paving the way for delivery and avoiding further delay in resolving the UK’s aviation hub issues
3. Work with local authorities to clear the road maintenance backlog and commit to a planned, preventative maintenance regime - addressing defects on a more long-term ‘value for money’ basis
4. ‘Future-proof’ new infrastructure by embedding resilience – and the “domino effect” across networks when one system fails – into criteria used to make decisions on which projects go ahead
5. Implement energy market reform fully and smoothly with changes kept to a minimum, to entrench cross-party support for electricity decarbonisation
6. Commit to a long-term maintenance investment programme for flood risk management
7. Accelerate the devolution of transport powers by creating city-region transport authorities responsible for roads and all public transport, supported by a national transport strategy for England
8. Commit to increasing the quality – not just the quantity – of apprenticeships so those on schemes achieve a qualification which sets them up for life, and the UK benefits from a pipeline of talent
9. Ensure Ofsted rigorously inspects schools’ careers guidance so the range of STEM paths available, including vocational and technician roles, are communicated to students.
10. Establish an Office for Resource Management in government to entrench a circular economy ethos across all departments and promote resource management as a driver of growth.

ICE director general Nick Baveystock said: “This is no time for the faint hearted – the next government must establish a long-term vision for infrastructure and a framework that facilitates cross-party consensus. We need to build the UK’s resilience, rebalance growth, and secure a world class engineering workforce. There are also some tough decisions ahead – not least on the UK’s aviation policy and our future energy mix. But with concerted political commitment, challenges can become opportunities, and we can deliver the infrastructure we need for the 21st century and beyond.”

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