The completion and sale of High Speed 1

Posted on: 6 July 2012
By: mackene
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The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee has published the findings of its inquiry into the completion and sale of the high speed rail link to the Channel Tunnel (HS1). The Committee concludes that while HS1 provides an efficient service, contributing in an important way to British transport infrastructure, there were costly mistakes in the history of the project, and adds that these must not be repeated with HS2. The Committee considers the root of the problem to have been the inaccurate and wildly optimistic forecasts for passenger numbers both when the line was being planned and when the Department restructured its  deal with the contractor. The Department failed to take into account the growth of low cost airlines or the competitive response of the ferry companies. The Committee expresses further concern that the Department for Transport does not have a full understanding of the wider economic impact and regeneration benefits of transport infrastructure, including HS1, to inform future investment decisions.

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Thinking ahead, building together: New Cities Summit 2012. Paris, 14-16 May 2012

Posted on: 27 June 2012
By: mackene
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The Summit, organised by the New Cities Foundation, aims to place the city at the heart of the global discussion. This invitation-only event is new in both content and form. It mixed high-level conversations featuring some of the most recognized global urban thought leaders and decision makers, including mayors, CEOs and business leaders, academics, architects, technologists, media leaders and entrepreneurs, with innovative demos and interactive thematic workshops. Workshop topics included: mobility, the creative and connected city, the just city, water, greener buildings, infrastructure finance, and regional sessions. China, India and Latin America were a particular focus area. Videos and an e-book are available online.

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State of the Nation: Water 2012

Posted on: 11 June 2012
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State of the Nation reports have been compiled each year since 2000 by panels of experts drawn from across the Institution of Civil Engineers membership and beyond. The aim of the State of the Nation report is to stimulate debate in society, influence governments’ policies and highlight the actions that we believe are needed to improve the state of the nation’s infrastructure and associated services. This report focuses on the issue of water.

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An offer they shouldn’t refuse: Attracting investment to UK infrastructure

Posted on: 28 May 2012
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This report from the Confederation of British Industry highlights the importance of infrastructure to the sustainability to the UK economy and presents recommendations as to how such infrastructure could be funded.

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Building communities: transforming neighbourhoods into community spaces. Brighton, 11-13 April 2012

Posted on: 15 May 2012
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The 2012 UK-Ireland Planning Research Conference addressed British, Irish, European and international approaches on the following: Neighbourhood and community planning; Planning for climate change adaptation; Mobility and infrastructure; Planning capacity, education and skills; Urban and rural regeneration; Green and blue space provision; Local enterprise partnerships and affluence; Urban design and real estate development; Planning for social difference; Urban and rural development and environmental impacts; Coastal and marine planning. Abstracts are available in the conference handbook.

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Government construction pipeline update

Posted on: 10 May 2012
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In fulfilling the commitments made in the Plan for Growth at Budget 2011 the Government has updated the construction pipeline last published in November 2011 alongside the National Infrastructure Plan and the infrastructure investment pipeline. The Government funded construction pipeline includes over 600 projects and programmes, around £40 billion of investment over 4 years to 2014/15 (excluding rail and other regulated and private sector infrastructure investment).

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Equity investment in privately finance projects

Posted on: 3 May 2012
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The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee has called for an end to the routine use of the Private Finance Initiative to pay for public infrastructure.

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Modus: May 2012

Posted on: 1 May 2012
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The latest issue of this magazine from the RICS includes a number of features relating to transport, including the rise of the global city as ‘aerotropolis’; the challenges of delivering an efficient and economically viable HS2, as well as other high-speed projects taking place or in planning around the world; a visit to Crossrail’s new Tunnelling and Underground Construction Academy; and a consideration of the transport challenges before, during and after the London Olympics 2012.

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Strengthening UK supply chains: Public procurement. Tunneling: a capability analysis

Posted on: 30 April 2012
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This analysis explains a new approach that government will take to purchasing equipment and services, implementing a commitment from the Growth Review. Focuses on tunneling, a sub-sector of construction, with an initial analysis on strategic capability, to identify some of the skills and changes required to meet future demand. Shows potential benefits for UK firms and how this will safeguard UK competitiveness and growth.

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ITRC Fast Track Analysis dissemination conference. London, 24 January 2012

Posted on: 17 April 2012
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The transformation of national infrastructure must be efficient whilst minimising the associated risks, and will need to be underpinned by a long-term, cross-sectoral approach to understanding national infrastructure performance under a range of possible futures. The UK Infrastructure Transitions Research Consortium (ITRC) will provide the theoretical research, models and practical decision support tools to enable strategic analysis and planning of a national infrastructure system fit for the 21st Century. A fast track analysis is being undertaken by the ITRC which involves scoping for possible futures for infrastructure in the UK, the drivers for change and the sources of uncertainty. This event aimed to disseminate the results from the fast track analysis and some of the presentations are available online.

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