Major projects negatively impacted by ‘lengthy delays’ to policy updates, says NIC design chair

The delivery of major projects is being impaired by “lengthy delays” to infrastructure policy updates, according to the chair of the National Infrastructure Commission’s (NIC) design group. 

In a letter to levelling up minister Lucy Frazer, Building columnist Sadie Morgan expressed her concerns about the failure to quickly update National Policy Statements. 

The government produces National Policy Statements to outline the government’s objectives for nationally significant infrastructure and explain how the policy accounts for the government’s climate obligations. 

Most of the current National Policy Statements were set before the government’s commitment to achieve net zero by 2050. 

Morgan, founding director at the architectural practice dRMM, said: “Getting major infrastructure projects delivered on time is complex and challenging.  

“National Policy Statements, which set the strategic priorities for the development of key infrastructure, and provide the legal framework for planning decisions, play a vital role in providing policy certainty.  

“However, there have been lengthy delays to publication of updated statements across infrastructure sectors and the Design Group is concerned about the impact this is having on delivery.” 

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Morgan said she had been encouraged by the commitment in the autumn statement to publishing updated statements for energy, transport and water next year and urged that policy statements include reference to the importance of good design. 

The NIC’s design group, which Morgan chairs, was set up in 2019 to promote design excellence in nationally significant projects.