Partner Article

Infrastructure inadequacies must be addressed

More must be done to address regional infrastructure inadequacies, according to a leading figure in the North East construction industry.

Speaking just after he was elected chairman of the North East Region of the Civil Engineering Contractors Association, John Dickson noted a growing realisation that North East economic challenges have resulted from years of underinvestment.

A recent survey by the IPPR North think tank indicated that the Government planned to spend £2,700 per head on infrastructure projects in London, compared to £5 per head in the North.

He said: “There appears to be mounting recognition that, both to stimulate the economy and to support the growth of manufacturing and export industries, some effort must be made to catch up with those lost years.”

Mr Dickson, who is also chairman of the Owen Pugh Group is now looking to work with other professional bodies to improve the situation.

“We will do our best to engage with all levels of local and national government, including the Local Enterprise Partnerships, to advance the case for infrastructure investment in projects large and small, to deal with weaknesses and also to improve the workings of our present hard-pressed infrastructure.” He added.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .