Future Local Lab
Local Government ExplainedResource pack: Ask the Expert – Delivering through change. How can councils keep infrastructure projects on track?
This joint LGIU and SCAPE session drew on findings from our recent research to explore where and why infrastructure project delivery is slowing – and where the opportunities to enhance delivery are clearest.
Rewatch the session
3 key takeaways from the discussion
1. Projects “stumble at the starting line”
The research reveals that project disruption occurs most heavily during the early pre-construction phases rather than physical delivery.
Key areas of friction: Business case development, approvals, procurement, scoping, and planning are where projects face the most significant delays.
Vulnerable sectors: Large-scale, “place-shaping” projects—specifically regeneration, housing, and transport—are the most susceptible to stalling early on.
2. National volatility outweighs local ambition
While councils possess a strong desire to deliver for their communities, they are heavily constrained by macroeconomic factors and internal resource gaps.
External pressures: Cost inflation, market volatility, and central government funding delays are the top factors straining delivery.
Internal bottlenecks: A severe shortage of specialised expertise, alongside recruitment and retention issues, hampers in-house capacity. As a result, financial outcomes (reducing cost overruns) have been prioritised over social and environmental goals.
3. Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) causes short-term pain for medium-term gain
Structural overhauls like devolution and LGR create a mixed landscape of friction and optimism.
The two-year outlook: In the short term, structural reorganisation acts as a disruption, diverting vital administrative bandwidth and officer resources away from project pipelines.
Future opportunity: Looking beyond a two-year horizon, practitioners anticipate a distinct upside, noting that integrated local authorities will ultimately leverage funding more effectively, streamline decision-making and deliver more cohesive local infrastructure.
Additional resources
LGIU & SCAPE research
Delivering through change: enabling local government to deliver buildings and infrastructure
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