ICE comment on today’s mini-budget

David Hawkes, Head of Policy, ICE, said:

We welcome the Government’s renewed commitment to major infrastructure projects. The proposed Planning and Infrastructure Bill to accelerate many important programmes of work and contribute to economic growth is gratifying, not least as the slow pace of planning for major infrastructure is acting as a barrier to the UK’s net zero ambitions.

However, we need more clarity from the Government on how its infrastructure delivery plans will align with the country’s net zero and other environmental ambitions. Any economic benefits that we gain must continue to reinforce and prioritise our environmental objectives for our sector, and our country, to achieve long term success. In the midst of a climate crisis, we cannot afford to ignore the environmental implications of infrastructure.