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At igloo, we’re proud to support the Purposeful Finance Commission (PFC) as they launch their groundbreaking report on the state of infrastructure investment in the UK. Identifying the need to understand and overcome the barriers to housing and infrastructure development, a number of leaders from combined authorities, local government and investment firms have come together with regeneration experts to form the PFC and its Advisory Board.
As an independent body, they’ve launched their third report, titled ‘Breaking the Cycle’ to understand infrastructure investment trends and address regional disparities, as well as challenges in planning capacity, and the systemic factors contributing to a cycle of underinvestment across the UK.
As we continue to lead regenerative schemes at a national scale, our Executive Director, John Long, worked alongside Tracy Blackwell CBE and Stephen Beechey to commission the report, which aims to understand and address the barriers – local, regional, and national – to the development of housing and infrastructure.
The UK has witnessed a slowdown in infrastructure investment
The PFC’s Investment Heatmap has uncovered the key trends and followed the movement of investment over recent years to create actionable insights that inform a virtuous cycle of growth and regional development.
A slowdown in national infrastructure investment is one of the key findings to emerge from the research (7% increase in investment per capita between 2016-2018 and 2020-2022, compared to a 37% increase during the previous period). Meanwhile, persistent regional inequalities are clear, with regions falling below the per capita average, despite notable investment progress in historically underfunded regions.
The report suggests a number of reasons for regional disparity and slowdown in investment, some of which we’ve experienced amongst our own projects, including:
To ensure we drive regeneration and housing delivery in the regions that need it most, it’s crucial that both the public and private sectors come together to discuss these challenges and break the cycle that’s stalling much-needed investment and infrastructure across the region.
Championing regeneration where it’s needed most
The insights detailed in the report are pivotal for the industry, as we look to unlock the potential of disused and overlooked places across the UK. We hope the launch of this report will help drive meaningful conversations around the Pipeline Fund and other steps to unlock investment to deliver targeted regeneration.
We look forward to working with the PFC on the next stages of this important work, helping to deliver real solutions to support long-term growth and social value.
Download the full report to find out more.
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