Government Publishes 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy with Regional Priorities Revealed

On Thursday 19 June, Government published its 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy. 

For roofing and cladding contractors, this offers long-term opportunities across the health, education, and justice sectors.

Maintenance Spending to Exceed £10 Billion a Year

The strategy outlines rising annual investment in maintaining hospitals, schools, colleges, prisons, and courts, reaching more than £10 billion a year by 2034/35. 

This includes: 

• Health: Over £6 billion per year will be spent on hospital maintenance and upgrades in England. This includes the removal of dangerous RAAC and improving the safety and condition of hospital buildings. 
• Education: School and college maintenance funding will increase to almost £3 billion per year by 2035. The government also plans to rebuild at least 750 schools through an expanded School Rebuilding Programme, backed by nearly £20 billion over 10 years. 
• Justice: At least £600 million per year will be invested in improving the safety, security, and condition of prisons and courts in England and Wales. 

These figures include funding already announced in the recent Spending Review. 

Other major project announcements as follows: 

• £3.5 billion extra for TransPennine rail upgrade (Manchester–Leeds). 
• Midlands Rail Hub progressing to next phase. 
• £445 million over 10 years for new rail projects in North and South Wales. 
• Details on Northern Powerhouse Rail to be announced soon. 
• £30 billion for nuclear power expansion (biggest in 50 years). 
• £39 billion over 10 years for affordable housing (largest cash injection in 50 years). 
• Ongoing support for carbon capture projects like Acorn in Scotland. 

New Digital Infrastructure Pipeline to Be Published in July 

A detailed project pipeline was not be published alongside the infrastructure strategy and will instead come out mid-July. The government’s new National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) will oversee the strategy and publish the detailed project pipeline. This pipeline will be updated twice a year and will include project timelines, locations, and procurement details. A dedicated online portal is expected to give construction businesses a clearer view of what is being built, when and where. 

In the strategy announcement, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones said this would “give industry and investors the confidence they need to invest in highly skilled jobs in every part of the country.” 

What This Means for Contractors 

While all specific project details are still to come, the long-term funding commitments offer a clearer and more stable outlook for contractors working on public buildings than has been available in some time. The focus on maintenance, safety, and modernisation will hopefully result in sustained demand for roofing, cladding, and related services. 

The NFRC will provide further updates once the July infrastructure pipeline is released. 

We encourage Members to read closely the sections of the strategy which may pertain to them.  

The strategy provides some examples of infrastructure investment in different regions, as detailed in the image below.