£600bn bid to make us fit for future

GREATER use of modern prefab building techniques could help create infrastructure in a more efficient way, the Treasury said as it set out £600billion of projects expected over the next 10 years.

Ministers are encouraging the manufacturing of components in factories before being sent to construction sites for assembly to try to speed up building projects.

The Government set out proposals for a “platform approach”, where aset of digitally designed components could be used on different types of public buildings such as schools, hospitals, prisons or train stations.

Officials believe modern manufacturing approaches could boost productivity and reduce waste by as much as 90 per cent and mean a school that typically takes a year to build could be completed in just over four months.

Exchequer Secretary Robert Jenrick said: “We are committed to renewing our infrastructure to drive economic growth in all parts of the United Kingdom.

“Over the course of this Parliament investment in economic infrastructure will reach the highest sustained levels in over 40 years.

“And as the pace of technological change accelerates, we are stepping up our commitment to digital infrastructure, use of data to drive greater productivity and embracing new methods of construction.

“With £600billion of investment over the next decade, including the largest ever investment in our strategic road network, we are taking the long-term action required to raise productivity and ensure the economy is fit for the future.”

The Treasury highlighted the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon road scheme as an example of the new approach, where parts of bridges were developed in a factory before being transported and assembled on site.

Highways England chief executive Jim O’Sullivan said: “We will adopt ever increasing levels of automation and off-site construction in road improvement schemes and smart motorways in our next five-year road investment programme.”

‘We are committed to renewing our infrastructure’