Institution of Civil Engineers | Spotlight
Regional partnerships for infrastructure
I do not think many would argue the need to change the way infrastructure is planned, financed and delivered. It is a conversation we often say needs to be held at a national level.
But the same issues also apply at a regional level. In the East Midlands we recognised the need to drive region-specific investment and projects, so last year formed the East Midlands Infrastructure Partnership (Emip).
ADRIAN COY
Our goal has been to identify the infrastructure-related priorities and opportunities within our region and draw them to the attention of the government with the hope that we can influence funding and planning decisions.
After all, who is better to articulate what a region needs than those living in, working in and visiting it?
With the second National Infrastructure Assessment due soon, there is an opportunity to identify and articulate the priorities of our region – transport, water and energy.
The East Midlands is very car-dependent (80% commute by car), with limited local public transport and (diesel) rail services. For some time, the East Midlands has received the lowest level of public funding per head for transport of any UK region/ nation (65% of UK average). As there is a clear line of sight between poor transport, low regional productivity and low social mobility, new and improved road and rail infrastructure needs to be considered.
Twenty percent of the region is within Flood Zone 2 for fluvial and coastal flooding, with over 200,000 properties and 400,000 people living in flood-risk areas. This includes large areas of nationally important food production and many town and city centres. The level of risk will increase significantly over the coming decades, even if global warming is limited to 1.5°C. So it is vital to address the risks sooner, rather than later.
The East Midlands was the UK’s powerhouse throughout the 20th century – built on coal. We have a legacy of coal-fired power stations across the region as a result and while a number of these sites will be redeveloped for mixed-use, some can and must be repurposed to support the UK’s transition to net zero.
“The aim is to build a consensus on the infrastructure the region needs to thrive economically and respond to climate changeWorking with East Midlands councils, in June and July, the Emip presented written and verbal evidence around these priorities to the East Midlands All Party Parliamentary Group. The aim is to build a consensus on the infrastructure the region’s economy needs to thrive and to respond to climate change.
The next step will be to respond to the National Infrastructure Assessment in the hope we can influence government planning and investment for the betterment of the region.
A straightforward model, the Emip brings together key stakeholders with an interest in driving investment and projects to meet the specific regional needs. It is easily replicable elsewhere and I would encourage those in other regions to consider looking at the benefits something similar could bring to them.
- Adrian Coy is chair of East Midlands Infrastructure Partnership and a former ICE vice president