Infrastructure plans must prioritise logistics, says Logistics UK

Friday 24 February 2023

Following the government’s publication of its Action Plan for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, Jonathan Walker, Head of Cities and Infrastructure Policy at Logistics UK, comments:  

“The logistics industry is frustrated by the number of infrastructure schemes that have been held up by lengthy, bureaucratic and often opaque planning processes. Such schemes are of critical importance to the national economy and the government’s acknowledgement of this issue – and the publication of this plan – is encouraging. However, it is now essential that steps are taken to ensure these plans are legally robust, to minimise the potential for unnecessary challenges and delays. A shortage of skills and experience in the planning system is regularly cited as a contributor to the problem, so these proposals must be accompanied by measures to address those shortages.  

“With net zero deadlines moving ever closer, government should make effective use of the planning call in process to ensure key infrastructure projects that are essential to delivering a zero carbon logistics system are approved, and future planning decisions and project deliveries reflect the critical dependency between zero carbon logistics and energy infrastructure. Logistics UK is also urging government to focus on building positive relationships between interested parties, to ensure ongoing and effective engagement and we look forward to responding constructively to the consultation on these proposals.” 

Logistics UK is one of the UK’s leading business groups, representing logistics businesses which are vital to keeping the UK trading, and more than seven million people directly employed in the making, selling and moving of goods. With decarbonisation, Brexit, new technology and other disruptive forces driving change in the way goods move across borders and through the supply chain, logistics has never been more important to UK plc. Logistics UK supports, shapes and stands up for safe and efficient logistics, and is the only business group which represents the whole industry, with members from the road, rail, sea and air industries, as well as the buyers of freight services such as retailers and manufacturers whose businesses depend on the efficient movement of goods.