At a Glance
🏛️ Government has quietly scrapped more than two dozen new road schemes, intensifying uncertainty over long-term transport investment and regional growth.
🏗️ Sir Robert McAlpine has secured the £133m main refurbishment contract for the Grade I-listed Bank of England HQ, with completion due in November 2030.
🚆 Northern Ireland has approved the Outline Business Case for the A29 Cookstown Bypass and committed to a separate A29 active travel upgrade in Coleraine.
🚆 BAM has begun replacing four Victorian rail bridges on London’s Suffragette line at Forest Gate, marking another complex rail renewals package on site.
💰 New forecasts point to modest UK construction growth from 2027, led by a 14% uplift in infrastructure work through to 2031, while residential remains under pressure.
Today’s update: fiscal tightening on roads, pauses in major regeneration and a live political row over carbon capture funding sit alongside a firming outlook for infrastructure-led growth. Tier one wins and regional transport schemes continue to move, but the mix of cuts, delays and selective backing is sharpening the divide between asset classes and regions. Here’s what you need to know to stay ahead today.
Ongoing Stories
Following earlier coverage of the vulnerability of the UK’s £530bn project pipeline, today’s quiet cancellation of more than two dozen national road schemes adds a concrete example of how fiscal pressure is now curtailing planned surface transport investment, with implications for regional connectivity strategies.
Building on recent analysis that infrastructure will be the main engine of construction growth, McBains’ forecast of a 14% rise in infrastructure output between 2026 and 2031 reinforces the tilt away from residential and towards transport and energy projects in the medium-term workload mix.
Top 5 Headlines
🏛️ Government axes more than two dozen new road schemes
The UK government has quietly cancelled over two dozen planned road infrastructure schemes as part of a cost-saving drive. The move comes amid ongoing debates over devolution, regional growth and how transport investment underpins local economic strategies. The cancellations introduce fresh uncertainty for highways supply chains and may force regions to reassess growth and connectivity plans built around now-shelved road upgrades. (Source: Financial Times)
🏗️ Sir Robert McAlpine wins £133m Bank of England HQ refurbishment
Sir Robert McAlpine has secured the £133m main works contract to refurbish the Grade I-listed Bank of England headquarters on Threadneedle Street. The project, running to a scheduled completion in November 2030, will encompass extensive upgrades within one of the UK’s most sensitive heritage and security environments. For the London commercial and heritage markets this represents a flagship long-duration package, underpinning specialist trades and reinforcing demand for high-end refurbishment capability. (Source: Construction Enquirer, London Construction Magazine)
🚆 A29 Cookstown Bypass gets business case green light in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland’s Department for Infrastructure has approved the Outline Business Case for the A29 Cookstown Bypass, advancing a long-anticipated scheme to divert traffic around the town. Separately, a £400,000 footway upgrade has been announced for Coleraine’s A29 Ring Road, improving conditions for pedestrians and active travel. The approvals signal incremental but tangible progress on regional connectivity and safety upgrades, creating a modest pipeline for local civils and highways contractors. (Source: Northern Ireland Department for Infrastructure)
🚆 BAM starts replacement of four Victorian rail bridges in London
BAM has begun work to replace four Victorian rail bridges on the Suffragette line at Forest Gate in London. The programme will modernise critical rail structures on a busy commuter corridor while managing significant operational and local disruption risks. The scheme underlines continuing demand for complex rail renewals in the capital, offering opportunities for specialist bridge, track and systems supply chains. (Source: Civil Engineering Today)
💰 Infrastructure to drive moderate construction growth from 2027
Consultancy McBains forecasts UK construction output growth of 1.8% in 2027 and 2.8% in 2028, with infrastructure activity expected to rise by 14% between 2026 and 2031. While infrastructure schemes are set to underpin workloads, the outlook for residential remains subdued, constrained by affordability pressures and regulatory headwinds. The forecast points clients and contractors towards transport and energy projects as the primary volume drivers, while highlighting ongoing risk in housing-focused business models. (Source: Construction Enquirer)
Also in the news
🏗️ South London mixed-use regeneration is stalling, with British Land pausing the next phase of Canada Water and Landsec putting its Lewisham Shopping Centre redevelopment on hold, signalling caution in the capital’s retail-led and residential regeneration market. (Source: London Construction Magazine)
🌱 Campaigners have urged the Chancellor to scrap £24bn of planned government spending on carbon capture technology, arguing it is unreliable and costly, while industry points to over £4bn in supply chain contracts and 5,500 construction jobs linked to early UK projects. (Source: Yahoo News UK)
⚙️ Willmott Dixon has completed a £15.6m electric bus depot upgrade in Oldham, adding infrastructure to support the town’s transition to zero-emission public transport fleets. (Source: National Construction News)
🚆 Great British Railways has confirmed its new headquarters will be located at Derby’s Becketwell development, cementing the city’s role in the restructured national rail organisation. (Source: Civil Engineering Today)
🌱 Green Hill Solar Farm in Northamptonshire has received consent for a solar development of up to 500MW, adding a major utility-scale renewable project to the UK’s clean energy pipeline. (Source: Civil Engineering Today)
The Daily Build is written for people shaping the UK’s construction and infrastructure pipeline. If this briefing is useful for your next board, bid or project review, consider forwarding it to your team.