President of AtkinsRéalis UK & Ireland welcomes Spending Review

Here’s a comment from AtkinsRéalis regional President welcoming today’s CSR funding announcements as creating the building blocks to crowd in finance, shift to delivery faster, and kickstart growth… along with a statement on affordable housing from their EDAROTH housing developer subsidiary.

Chris Ball, President, AtkinsRéalis UK & Ireland, said “There is much to welcome in the Spending Review, including further investment in vital transport links, affordable homes and new nuclear, and a strong desire to shift swiftly into project delivery phase to unlock opportunities and deliver place-based growth.

“We also support the objectives that sit behind the investment plans published by Government. Infrastructure investment has always been a catalyst for growth and opportunity, but the funding plans today support a clear mission: improve regional connectivity, strengthen energy security, accelerate the build rate of affordable homes and boost socio-economic opportunities.

“Many of the funding decisions made today will kickstart growth and underpin broader programmes of renewal, including the trailblazer investment deals, and we welcome the Green Book Review towards place-based business cases that articulate the full economic value of a far broader array of projects.

“Private finance will be pivotal in funding new homes, new transport links, city regeneration programmes and critical national infrastructure. Attracting this investment relies on stability, certainty and credibility of plans. A shift towards a streamlined planning system will support this, alongside the long-term certainty that the impending Infrastructure and Industrial Strategies should provide, and the frameworks to fund and structure projects effectively. There is also a clear role for industry to help create viable plans for deliverable projects, building a better business case that delivers the right outcomes for all parties.

“The UK is laying the building blocks to unlock rapid, efficient and inclusive growth in communities across the country, and we stand ready to support the delivery of projects across the UK to turn this ambition into action.”