UK Infrastructure: A 10-Year Strategy for Growth and Renewal

The UK is launching a decisive 10-year infrastructure strategy to reverse years of underinvestment, rebuild credibility, and drive long-term economic growth. After a period marked by inconsistent decisions, cost overruns, and declining productivity, this plan sets a new course: stable policy, serious delivery, and restored investor confidence.

Based on report by HMRC UK Infrastructure: A 10 Year Strategy

The goal is simple and ambitious: to make the UK one of the world’s most attractive destinations for infrastructure investment. This will be achieved through clear institutional reforms, long-term funding commitments, and a more predictable delivery environment.

Framework for Delivery

The strategy focuses on fixing the systems that determine whether projects actually get built. It is built on three pillars:

• Creation of the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA). A single centre of excellence within HM Treasury combining:

  • National Infrastructure Commission (strategy)

  • Infrastructure and Projects Authority (assurance)

  Purpose: improve decision-making, reduce risk, and restore confidence in UK delivery.

Long-Term Certainty

• At least £725 billion of public infrastructure funding over 10 years.

• A new online Infrastructure Pipeline providing a transparent forward look at national projects.

• Designed to give businesses and investors the confidence to invest in skills, technology, and supply chains.

Removing Barriers to Delivery

• A new Planning and Infrastructure Bill to fast-track 150 major decisions.

• Streamlined consenting and a more coordinated, spatial approach to planning.

• Improved governance for megaprojects, including fixed capital envelopes.

Private Capital at Scale

Private investment is central to the success of the strategy. The government is deploying three mechanisms to crowd in capital:

1. Mobilising Pension Funds

• The Mansion House Accord: 17 major DC pension schemes committing to invest more in UK private markets.

• Expected to unlock over £25 billion for infrastructure and productive sectors.

Public Institutions as Catalysts

• National Wealth Fund: £27.8 billion capacity for capital-intensive projects.

• National Housing Bank: £16 billion to boost housing delivery.

• Great British Energy: Over £8.3 billion for clean power partnerships.

Modern, Flexible Finance Models

• Reintroduction of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) where they deliver value for money.

• Early candidate: Euston station redevelopment.

• Commitment to update the regulatory environment by end of 2025 to improve transparency and predictability.

Strategic Investment Priorities

Public and private investment will target four national priorities:

• Transport

  • £24bn for road maintenance (2026–2030).

  • £15.6bn for city-region mass transit, including West Yorkshire.

  • Continued delivery of HS2 (Euston–Birmingham), the Transpennine Upgrade, and East West Rail.

• Housing

  • Target of 1.5 million new homes.

  • £39bn 10-year Affordable Homes Programme.

  • £16bn National Housing Bank to unlock private development.

• Digital

  • £2bn for AI and sovereign compute capacity.

  • Project Gigabit pushing UK broadband coverage to 99%.

4.2 Clean Energy Leadership

• Targets for 2030:

  • Offshore wind: 43–50 GW

  • Onshore wind: 27–29 GW

  • Solar: 45–47 GW

• Nuclear: Sizewell C, first SMR programme, and £2.5bn in fusion research.

• £9.4bn for Carbon Capture and Storage.

• £13.2bn Warm Homes Plan for heat pumps and energy efficiency.

Modern Social Infrastructure

• At least £10bn per year for health, education, and justice estate maintenance by 2034–35.

• Health: delivery of 35 new hospitals and £6bn per year for NHS maintenance.

• Education: almost £20bn to rebuild 500+ schools.

• Justice: £6.3bn to deliver 14,000 new prison places.

Environmental Resilience

• £500m Nature Restoration and Marine Recovery Funds.

• £7.9bn flood defence plan protecting 840,000 properties.

• Circular Economy reforms expected to unlock £10bn in private recycling infrastructure.

Decade of Delivery

This 10-year strategy moves the UK from short-term announcements to long-term delivery. It establishes:

• Clear accountability through NISTA.

• Transparent progress reporting every two years.

• Close coordination with devolved governments.

• A predictable, investable environment designed to rebuild confidence and get Britain building again.

The commitment is clear: a decade of ambition matched by a decade of action, driving growth, productivity, and national renewal.