Last week’s National Infrastructure Planning Association (NIPA) dinner was another highlight in the infrastructure industry calendar coming hot on the heels of the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement.

Professor Tony Travers, Director of LSE London at the London School of Economics and Political Science, delivered an upbeat message about Government’s commitment to long term investment in infrastructure. He said that Brexit had prompted Government to signal its determination to make infrastructure happen and to give it the boost that’s needed.

NIPA Chair Angus Walker made the most of addressing the industry-wide audience by reaffirming NIPA’s vision to challenge established thinking. Its Insights Research Project will soon publish its findings into the need for flexibility versus detail in the national infrastructure planning system. The aim of the research is to give developers room to manoeuvre when bringing forward Development Consent Order applications for major projects while giving the Planning Inspectorate sufficient detail to effectively assess them.