TO BE PUBLISHED July 2026
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This conference will examine next steps for the delivery of major transport projects in the UK. Delegates will assess priorities for project delivery and capacity, governance and assurance, planning and consenting reform, funding and investment models, and environmental requirements and climate resilience.
It will bring together stakeholders and policymakers to discuss key issues in the context of:
- the Government-commissioned Stewart Review, which examined governance and assurance arrangements for major projects through an analysis of HS2
- the subsequent Lovegrove Review, which set out recommendations on capability, sponsorship and oversight across government and the wider public sector
- the recently published Progress report on the Government Major Transport Projects Evaluation Review Action Plan
- CMA recommendations on road and rail procurement, including measures intended to improve efficiency, competition and project delivery
It also takes place with recent policy developments including the Northern Powerhouse Rail Bill, the Highways (Financing) Bill, updated National Policy Statements, and ongoing reform to planning, evaluation and integrated transport delivery.
With the Stewart Review expected to inform next steps for strengthening delivery frameworks across the major project pipeline, delegates will assess practical considerations for implementing changes to governance, assurance and delivery structures in a timely and effective way. Discussion will also consider the role of UK Infrastructure: A 10 Year Strategy in setting out a more integrated approach to long-term infrastructure planning, funding and delivery, alongside wider implications of the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025, the Better Connected strategy for integrated transport, and recent revisions to HS2 scope, cost and delivery assumptions.
Project delivery, capacity, delivery confidence & pipeline coordination
The agenda will examine delivery of current and planned major transport schemes, including HS2, the Lower Thames Crossing and Northern Powerhouse Rail, alongside wider questions around sequencing, capability, delivery confidence and pipeline coordination.
Discussion will also consider pressures affecting delivery capacity across the system, including supply chain resilience, workforce capability, procurement practice and market readiness, taking account of forthcoming findings from the Civil Engineering Market Study and recent updates to the NISTA Infrastructure Pipeline.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- pipeline planning: sequencing major schemes - co-ordination across programmes - implications for delivery confidence and market readiness
- HS2 lessons: implications of revised cost, scope and delivery assumptions - wider relevance for governance, planning and project development
- judicial review: proposed reform to infrastructure challenge processes - implications for delay, certainty and scrutiny
- supplier engagement: improving relationships between public bodies and industry - reducing fragmentation - supporting consistent delivery
- industry capacity: workforce pressures and supply chain resilience - implications for infrastructure capability and productivity
- skills policy: implications of government responses on transport manufacturing skills - competency passports - apprenticeship funding
- delivery assurance: approaches to risk management and performance oversight - addressing schedule slippage and cost escalation
- NISTA role: project assurance and approvals - co-ordination across the infrastructure pipeline - implications for investor confidence
Governance, oversight, assurance & investment
Sessions will assess options for improving governance and assurance arrangements following concerns raised through the Stewart Review, the Lovegrove Review, and wider work by the NAO and the OVfM. Delegates will consider implications of fragmented decision-making, inconsistent assurance processes and unclear accountability across major transport projects, alongside priorities for strengthening sponsor capability and oversight arrangements.
Further discussion will focus on evaluation, affordability and investment frameworks, including the role of HM Treasury, the Evaluation Taskforce and NISTA in strengthening scrutiny, delivery assurance and long-term infrastructure planning.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- governance: simplifying assurance arrangements - strengthening sponsor capability - proportionate oversight and approvals - reducing duplication
- evaluation policy: implementation of the Major Projects Evaluation Review Action Plan - strengthening scrutiny and capability
- Evaluation Task Force review: priorities for assessing evaluation coverage and quality across the Government Major Projects Portfolio
- procurement reform: implications of CMA recommendations for road and rail procurement - efficiency - market stability
- cost control: addressing optimism bias and scope creep - improving price and schedule forecasting across project lifecycles
- delivery culture: organisational incentives and behaviours - implications for affordability, reliability and design quality
- finance models: development of new public-private partnership approaches - implications of stop-start investment cycles - budgeting controls
- road financing: potential implications of the Highways (Financing) Bill - RAB funding - regulation and private delivery models
Planning & consenting
As provisions in the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 come into force, delegates will assess priorities for reform to planning and consenting arrangements for major transport schemes in England.
Sessions will consider further steps to address delays and uncertainty while maintaining opportunities for scrutiny, engagement and environmental assessment. Discussion will also examine implications of wider reform to transport and planning policy, including revisions to National Policy Statements, updates to the NPPF, and implementation of the Better Connected strategy for integrated transport.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- consenting reform: implementation of Planning and Infrastructure Act measures - implications for speed and certainty
- engagement processes: balancing streamlined decision-making with scrutiny, consultation and legal robustness
- policy statements: revisions to ports and airports policy frameworks - implications for transport infrastructure delivery
- project appraisal: approaches to decision-making and value assessment - implications for scheme prioritisation
- procurement pathways: reducing delay and delivery risk - improving consistency across planning and approval systems
- growth objectives: alignment between transport schemes, housing and economic development priorities within planning frameworks
Environmental protection & climate resilience
Further sessions will assess implications of environmental and climate policy for major transport project delivery, including requirements relating to biodiversity, mitigation, resilience and long-term infrastructure performance. Delegates will consider practical issues for project planning, consenting, financing and compliance as environmental expectations continue to evolve.
In the context of the recently published Climate adaptation strategy for transport, discussion will also examine priorities for embedding climate resilience and sustainability considerations into governance, investment and delivery frameworks across the infrastructure pipeline.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- environmental mitigation: implementation of BNG requirements for NSIPs - implications for planning, delivery and project costs
- nature recovery: operation of the Nature Restoration Fund - oversight arrangements - implications for infrastructure schemes
- consenting balance: interaction between streamlined approvals and environmental protection requirements
- infrastructure interdependencies: cross-sector co-ordination on resilience - managing risks across connected infrastructure systems
- compliance frameworks: monitoring and enforcement arrangements - expectations for delivery bodies and contractors
- sustainability priorities: integrating adaptation, resilience and environmental objectives and into long-term infrastructure planning and investment decisions
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those already due to attend include parliamentary pass-holders from the House of Commons and officials from the Department for Transport; Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government; Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Department for Energy Security and Net Zero; Department for Infrastructure, NI; Department for Business and Trade; National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority; Office of Rail and Road; Transport Scotland; National Audit Office; Planning Inspectorate; National Wealth Fund; and the Welsh Government.
