The government is being urged “urgently” to prioritise, invest in, and reform the management of the UK’s ageing infrastructure.
The report by the National Engineering Policy Centre (NEPC) has highlighted how climate change, heavier usage and decades of underinvestment are placing roads, bridges, railways, water networks and flood defences under mounting strain
Reviving our Ageing Infrastructure has emphasised the practical consequences that arise when ageing systems begin to break down, affecting public safety, the environment and the economy.
Recent closures of major structures, such as the Clifton Bridge in Nottingham, the Hammersmith Bridge in London, and the Nuneham Viaduct near Oxford, demonstrated “the real-world disruption” caused when assets built more than a century ago reach breaking point.
The NEPC has proposed instead a national shift from reactive repairs to proactive monitoring and maintenance, supported by 15 “urgent” recommendations.
These include reforming fragmented funding models, appointing chief engineers to board level, improving data sharing between agencies, and launching a national conversation on the value and cost of long-term stewardship.
The centre has also highlighted the urgent shortage of technical and specialist engineering skills, with significant losses across rail, water and flood management roles.
Early intervention can deliver up to £11 in benefits for every £1 invested in flood-defence maintenance, while lowering carbon emissions by extending the life of existing assets, it said by way of example.
Image: Hammersmith Bridge closed for repairs, 2020, NEPC/Shutterstock
