Wales must agree infrastructure vision

Geoff Odgen
09 November 2015

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The country needs a clear plan that can be developed in collaboration with the whole community, says ACE Wales chair Geoff Ogden.

Wales will struggle to meet future efficiency targets such as those set out in the Construction 2025 strategy and respond to future Welsh needs without a long term vision set by effective collaboration between business, government and civil society, ACE Wales chair Geoff Ogden said.

With the move towards more devolution, the construction industry’s role as the ‘bellwether’ of the economy has deep implications for Wales, he said. And during times of economic strength Wales needs to focus not only on infrastructure and construction today, but also upon the future vision for Welsh infrastructure.

Ogden was delivering a keynote speech at the ‘Policy Forum for Wales: Infrastructure in Wales – progress, priorities, and next steps for policy’ event in Cardiff. 

“Effective collaboration between business, government and civil society is a necessary prerequisite if reforms and investment are to raise productivity and competitiveness,” he said. “This calls for strong public and private leadership, a clear vision and effective and ongoing communication to build trust between all parties. It is therefore crucial to create mechanisms and fora to promote dialogue,” he said.