The latest review of the Government’s Major Projects Portfolio is not good reading. The Infrastructure and Projects Authority has serious concerns about a number of the schemes. They feel several are at risk of being completely “unachievable” because of different issues. It could have a massive impact on infrastructure, commercial architecture, housing, and more.

The review

IPA regularly reviews the GMPP and gives projects a rating. Some get a green because they are likely to come to fruition. Others get an amber as there are potential hurdles to overcome. The worst rating is red; it means successfully delivering the project doesn’t seem to be possible.

Projects can get a red rating for a number of different reasons. For example, there could be problems with the project’s definition and quality. Or, it could be budgetary issues or scheduling. In some cases projects get a red rating because they are unmanageable in the current form.

In the latest review, the IPA had a look at 227 projects. Of them, 68 are infrastructure and construction schemes. Only ten of them got a green rating. However, seven got a red. The rest got amber.

Two major concerns

Of all the schemes, the two most notable to get a red rating are HS2 and the New Hospitals Programme. There are serious concerns about the viability. Sadly, both could have a wider impact too, affecting housing, commercial architecture, and more.

High Speed 2 is the biggest infrastructure project in the UK for generations. However, it has had a number of issues since 2019, including cost and schedule overruns. In 2023 Phase 2 was cancelled, meaning there would no longer be a northern leg of the line. In their review, IPA said HS2 is “unachievable”.

The second notable red rating is for the New Hospitals Programme. The £20bn project aims to deliver up to 40 hospital projects. They are absolutely crucial as a lot of the current healthcare infrastructure needs an upgrade. It would help to ensure the future of the NHS and improve patient care. However, IPA thinks the current plan is also “unachievable”.

Would you like some help with commercial architecture?

Seeing projects through to successful conclusion can be tricky. A lot of factors can have an impact, including rising prices, labour availability, and management. There can also be unexpected things like the covid pandemic and changes in planning policy.

At Coffey Architects, we do our best to help clients get projects up and running. Then, we can offer ongoing support to keep them on track. Whether it is commercial architecture, housing, or other types of development, we can contribute ideas and much more. So, get in touch today.