KPMG highlights big transport spend plans, but flags pipe dream risk

An analysis of the UK Government's construction pipeline has highlighted that transport projects dominate the planned construction spend at a total of £66bn, accounting for over half of the pipeline value.

KPMG looked at the £116bn forecast spend by central and local government in the pipeline, covering three spend periods, 2014-16, 2016-2020, and 2020 and beyond. They found that only seven per cent of all the projects are due to complete before 2016, and a third of projects currently have no specified completion date.

Their analysis, detailed in a full report available here, also uncovered that by value one-third of the projects are in southern England.

Richard Threlfall, KPMG's UK head of infrastructure, building and construction, said: "Our analysis shows the huge dominance of rail and road schemes. But it is concerning that a third of the total projects currently have no specified completion date, as industry confidence in the pipeline would be improved if there was certainty around timescales to get schemes delivered."