CBI/AECOM survey shows three quarters of businesses in the East are unhappy with region’s infrastructure
The A11 looking towards Norwich from the Elveden bridge, after the project to completely dual the road was finished in 2014. Picture: Sonya Duncan - Credit: Eastern Daily Press � 2015
Companies across the East of England do not believe government is taking big enough steps to improve regional infrastructure.
The annual Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and AECOM infrastructure survey found seven in ten (69%) businesses in the region were unsatisfied with infrastructure including roads, energy and digital connectivity.
Just 14% said they were satisfied with infrastructure in the East – below the national average of 27%.
Surveyed firms were ambivalent about the impact of devolution, with nearly half (44%) believing it would neither improve or worsen infrastructure – in line with a general waning enthusiasm for the system.
Nationally, only a fifth (20%) of businesses were satisfied with the pace of infrastructure delivery.
The report says: 'It is clear that there is much further to go to improve and rebalance perceptions of infrastructure across the country.'
Richard Tunnicliffe, CBI East of England regional director, believed firms were getting 'more frustrated' with the slow pace of delivery for infrastructure improvements.
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'They [businesses] have seen announcements from governments of all colours over many years and the action does not much up to the rhetoric at the moment,' he said.
'What business wants has changed massively, for example the importance of digital infrastructure has climbed up the agenda over the past few years.
'In this region I think businesses are more confident about delivery of rail improvements, but the flip side is that they are less confident than the rest of the UK on improvements for road.'
He added: 'The general sentiment is the same in the East as it is for other parts of the UK – that we have seen announcements but we want stakes in the ground.'
