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| Chancellor announces £5bn for new infrastructure in Autumn Statement  David Tonkin, Atkins' UK Chief Executive Officer, believes that many of the elements of Chancellor George Osborne's Autumn Statement relating to infrastructure should be welcomed by the UK engineering and construction sectors as offering a strong boost for the country's economic prosperity."Infrastructure is one of the few areas of investment which allows governments to deliver short-term gains in a way which have long-term benefits, " commented David. "This is why it continues to play such a fundamental role in the UK economy. The funding schemes announced to support the extension of the Northern line to Battersea Power Station and the accompanied redevelopment, major upgrades for four trunk roads and motorways, extra fast broadband in 12 smaller cities and the next phase of HS2 will provide a welcome boost for jobs and the economy. At the same time they will help provide the backbone for the country to meet its long-term needs. "Making PFIs a more attractive proposition for both public and private sectors should unlock vital funding for further investment in infrastructure. PFI schemes have been criticised over the years, but if targeted in the right areas they can deliver excellent results, such as the one which is currently managing and upgrading many miles of the M25 Motorway. With aging infrastructure to maintain and enhance, and requirements for new builds, such as power stations, roads, railways, schools and hospitals, an improved system to facilitate private sector investment in public sector programmes is key. "While the government has been focusing on other elements of education, engineers and builders have been developing a range of modular and standardised options for enhancing school facilities. With £1bn funding now committed for building 100 new schools and expanding others, the engineering and construction industry can implement these solutions quickly and more cost efficiently than has been done in the past." write your comments about the article :: © 2012 Construction News :: home page |