At a Glance
UK Government’s Road Investment Strategy 3 (2026–31) confirms over £27bn for the Strategic Road Network, including a new Growth and Housing Accelerator Fund. (Source: GOV.UK)
A March 2026 implementation plan sets out how ministers will streamline Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project planning via secondary legislation over spring–summer 2026. (Source: GOV.UK)
The updated UK Infrastructure Pipeline outlines 734 planned projects worth £718bn over the next decade, reinforcing a substantial public–private workbank. (Source: Infrastructure and Projects Authority)
No new ONS construction output or orders data were released on 30–31 March; March 2026 figures are scheduled for publication in May. (Source: ONS)
Industry forecasts suggest the UK construction market will exceed £390bn in 2026, driven by steady public infrastructure spend but constrained by housing delivery challenges. (Source: Industry reports, early 2026)
Today’s update: the end of March brings one concrete policy move – a £27bn settlement for the Strategic Road Network – against a backdrop of already signalled planning reforms and a swollen £718bn project pipeline. With market data lagging and few new schemes announced, the focus now is on how RIS3, NSIP streamlining and the pipeline align with capacity, housing delivery and long-term investment decisions. Here’s what you need to know to stay ahead today.
Ongoing Stories
Following earlier coverage of UK infrastructure capacity pressures, the newly detailed £718bn, 734-project infrastructure pipeline continues to frame long-term opportunities and delivery risk across hospitals, schools, transport and energy. (Source: Infrastructure and Projects Authority)
Building on previous reporting around planning reform and the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, the March 2026 Streamlining Infrastructure Planning Implementation Plan sets a timetable for secondary legislation to accelerate NSIPs through spring–summer 2026. (Source: GOV.UK)
Top 5 Headlines
🚆 £27bn Road Investment Strategy 3 sets direction for 2026–31
The Government’s Road Investment Strategy 3 (RIS3), published on 30 March 2026, commits over £27bn to operating, maintaining and improving the Strategic Road Network over 2026–31. The plan highlights corridor growth and congestion relief, including support for schemes such as the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine route. This provides long-term visibility for highways contractors, consultants and supply chains, while giving developers clearer signals on where road-led growth and associated land value opportunities may emerge. (Source: GOV.UK)
🏗️ New Growth and Housing Accelerator Fund to link roads and development
Embedded within RIS3 is a new Growth and Housing Accelerator Fund aimed at unlocking housing and employment sites through targeted transport infrastructure. The fund is intended to use SRN interventions to enable new development, particularly where access and congestion currently constrain delivery. For developers and local authorities, this creates a potential new lever to de-risk strategic sites, provided schemes can be aligned with RIS3 priorities and evidence clear growth benefits. (Source: GOV.UK)
🏛️ Streamlining plan sets NSIP reform timetable
Returning today, the March 2026 Streamlining Infrastructure Planning Implementation Plan details how government intends to speed up Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project decisions. It flags forthcoming secondary legislation through spring and summer 2026 to shorten timelines and simplify processes. Sponsors of large energy, transport, water and waste schemes should factor these process changes into programme planning, consenting strategy and risk allocation in new contracts. (Source: GOV.UK)
🚆 £718bn infrastructure pipeline underpins decade of work
The recently updated UK Infrastructure Pipeline sets out 734 projects worth £718bn over the next decade, spanning hospitals, schools, rail, reservoirs and energy infrastructure. This remains the largest published public–private pipeline for the UK, indicating sustained capital investment intentions despite delivery headwinds. For contractors, investors and consultants, the dataset continues to be a core tool for medium-term bidding, capacity planning and regional market prioritisation. (Source: Infrastructure and Projects Authority)
💰 2026 construction market set to top £390bn
Industry forecasts from early 2026 project the UK construction market to exceed £390bn in value this year, supported by steady public infrastructure investment and ongoing – but uneven – housing delivery. While official output and orders data for March 2026 will not land until May, these projections suggest a broadly stable market with sectoral and regional imbalances. For boards, the combination of a large pipeline and mixed housing performance reinforces the need to balance exposure between public infrastructure frameworks and more cyclical residential work. (Source: Industry reports, early 2026)
📊 No fresh ONS data until May leaves sentiment-led decisions
No new ONS construction output, new orders or price index data were released on 30–31 March, with March 2026 statistics scheduled for publication in May. This creates a short period where investment and resourcing decisions rely more heavily on forward pipelines, internal order books and anecdotal market intelligence. Firms may wish to stress-test current assumptions on demand and pricing ahead of the next data drop. (Source: ONS)
Also in the News
🚆 RIS3 confirms government backing for corridor growth and congestion relief on the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine route, reinforcing its status as a priority strategic upgrade. (Source: GOV.UK)
🏛️ The NSIP streamlining plan reiterates that secondary legislation expected in spring–summer 2026 will form a key delivery arm for wider planning reform already flagged to the sector. (Source: GOV.UK)
💰 The £718bn infrastructure pipeline remains a reference point for investors assessing the balance of public and private financing across UK assets over the next decade. (Source: Infrastructure and Projects Authority)
🏗️ With no major contract awards or planning consents dated 30–31 March identified, market attention remains on converting pipeline schemes into committed programmes. (Source: Sector monitoring, March 2026)
🏡 Industry commentary continues to flag housing delivery challenges even as transport and social infrastructure pipelines remain comparatively robust. (Source: Industry reports, early 2026)
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