As the Government looks to strengthen confidence in long-term infrastructure delivery, on Wednesday, 29 April, BusinessLDN brought together industry, investors, and delivery partners to hear how the ten-year infrastructure pipeline is supporting long-term planning and investment in London and UK infrastructure, kindly hosted by Turner & Townsend at their One New Change offices.
We were joined by Margaret Read, Director of Infrastructure Policy & Strategy, and Rea Robey, Deputy Director for the Infrastructure Pipeline at the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), with the discussion chaired by Jason Byrne, Director of Integrated Advisory Business at Turner & Townsend.
The conversation focused on the ambition behind the Pipeline – to provide government, investors, and industry with clearer and more credible signals of planned investment across all infrastructure sectors, supporting supply chain and skills planning, and catalysing greater levels of private sector participation in the process.
Margaret and Rea first set out how the Pipeline has developed into a more dynamic, digital tool, before the discussion was opened up to questions and contributions from the floor. Alongside major public and private schemes, the Pipeline is increasingly looking to reflect skills requirements, supply chain pressures, and reaching tier 2 and 3 contractors in addition to tier 1, recognising that successful infrastructure delivery depends as much on people and capability as it does on assets.
A recurring challenge raised in the room was the lack of effective spatial coordination across sectors such as energy, water, and digital infrastructure, alongside the limited visibility many local authorities often have over what is planned in their areas. While the Pipeline provides a national picture, the discussion highlighted the need for a clearer place-based view to support local decision-making, recognising the interdependencies between sectors. Local government was widely recognised as critical to successful infrastructure outcomes – yet often underappreciated at the national level.
Investor confidence was another key theme. While there was strong interest in the direction of travel, participants emphasised that long-term certainty on risk, return, and delivery models would be essential if the Pipeline is to function as a reliable investment guide. Questions were raised about the Pipeline’s resilience to changing political priorities and how clearly different funding and procurement models are communicated. Comparisons were made with international approaches that provide clear guidance on risk and project maturity, offering potential lessons for the UK.
The session also explored the wider enablers needed to turn ambition into action. These included the importance of a single, coherent national investment narrative; the role of government-backed institutions like the National Wealth Fund in turning pipeline projects into investable propositions; the need for robust resilience standards, particularly around water supply; and the potential for greater standardisation to improve productivity across the system.
Overall, the Pipeline and the underpinning work in the strategy to fix the system are a work in progress. The Pipeline is a collaborative tool that will continue to evolve. Iterations are expected every six months, supported by new digital functionality currently in development. The role of NISTA in supporting the Government’s growth and renewal ambitions within HM Treasury was welcomed, as was the forthcoming refresh of the 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy in 2027, which many saw as a key milestone for embedding greater confidence and consistency.
The clear message was that better data, clearer market signals, and stronger coordination can help unlock infrastructure investment and delivery at scale – but only if they are grounded in place and shaped through sustained collaboration between government, industry, and investors. The Pipeline is a welcome step in that regard.
Our thanks to Turner & Townsend for hosting, and to Margaret, Rea, and Jason for their insights and for contributing to a thoughtful and informative discussion.
You can find the ten-year pipeline here.