More than two-thirds of manufacturing firms believe that the UK’s domestic infrastructure has deteriorated over the past 10 years, according to a survey.
Businesses responding to a questionnaire by manufacturers’ trade body Make UK also said the deteriorating state of rail and road networks was holding back their investment and growth.
68% of the 150 respondents said national infrastructure had worsened over the decade, with 57% saying the same about local networks.
The railway and the road were considered the two worst infrastructures in the country.
Almost half of manufacturing companies (48%) said they believed poor infrastructure was preventing access to key labor and skills, and 35% said it was holding back efforts towards decarbonisation.
The conclusions come weeks after the government ruled out the northern section of HS2 and said the money would be instead, it was spent on a number of smaller schemes across the UK.
Mike Thornton, national head of manufacturing at accountancy firm RSM, which helped carry out the survey, said: “An effective industrial strategy is needed for manufacturers to thrive in the UK. A critical part of this plan is “must focus on infrastructure investment, incorporating physical and digital networks. Only then will the business environment in the UK meet the needs of industry and employees, and effectively connect people and place.”
UK policy director Verity Davidge called for a plan to turn the situation around.
“Manufacturers are clear that the UK’s infrastructure is creaking and getting worse, with very real impacts on their business,” he said. “The recent announcement on HS2, with no plan B, was indicative of short-termism and giving up when the job is half done.”
Alasdair Reisner, chief executive of the Civil Engineering Contractors Association, said Construction news that his organization had long defended the economic arguments for investing in infrastructure.
“As the government loses interest in infrastructure investment, it is pushing the economy in the direction of poor growth. No wonder business bodies in industries like manufacturing are now sounding the alarm alarm about how this has and will have an impact on their ability to drive growth,” he said.
Last weekthe government’s advisory body the National Infrastructure Commission called for a “significant increase” in infrastructure spending by the public and private sectors over the coming decades and urged greater policy clarity.
In response to this report, a government spokesperson said: “Delivering high-quality infrastructure is the basis for our future growth. Our Network North plan will deliver the transport that matters most to people, and we are taking a more fairer and more pragmatic to reach net zero that helps households and families make greener choices while easing the burdens of working people.
“We are delivering over £600bn of planned public sector investment in infrastructure, R&D [research and development] and defense over the next five years, including an unprecedented package to improve connections across our city regions and billions to decarbonise buildings.”
