In advance of the Autumn Budget 2018, ACE has written to the Chancellor on behalf of its members outlining its views for infrastructure and the industry.

In its submission to HM Treasury, ACE has outlined that the government should:

• Recognise that investment in infrastructure and housing creates jobs, raises incomes and is an important tool for rebalancing the economy– construction is estimated to produce £2.84 of economic activity for every £1 spent. Alongside this we need longer term commitments to solving the housing crisis and a positive response to the ambitions of the National Infrastructure Assessment as a foundation for future growth.
• Promote greater transparency and understanding between funding infrastructure investment and the ultimate end-users, members of the public. Despite housing and infrastructure both being high on their agenda, there is no connection between public perceptions on investment and the benefits which result from it. Greater transparency would mean that local communities could argue for a fairer distribution of funding for local infrastructure.
• Apply the same principle of transparency on a national level to road users through the introduction of Dynamic Road User charging rather, than the current emissions-based system where revenues will decline to a soon to be unsustainable level for the maintenance of the national road networks.
• Publish the updated Government Construction Strategy and allocate the remainder of Construction Sector Deal funding. This would help the industry work towards government aims outlined in the sector deal and respond to the findings of their Transforming Infrastructure Performance Report.

The submission also includes specific recommendations on all of the above, as well as sections on rail investment (calling for funding approval for Northern Powerhouse Rail and Crossrail 2), bridging local funding gaps (reforming CIL) and honouring previously announced commitments on the Construction Sector Deal.

In its press release, ACE’s chief executive Hannah Vickers highlighted the fact that the government should recognise that infrastructure is vital to economic growth by taking, “positive immediate steps on firstly, the implementation of the National Infrastructure Assessment and, secondly, allocating the remainder if the Construction Sector Deal funding”.