Infrastructure as Legacy: UK Perspectives on Strategic Delivery and Innovation

It was a privilege to welcome Infrastructure New Zealand to the United Kingdom for a study visit hosted by British Expertise International (BEI) in partnership with the UK Department for Business and Trade. The delegation’s visit reflected the depth of the UK-New Zealand relationship and a shared commitment to addressing infrastructure challenges through ambition, innovation and collaboration. Co-created with more than a dozen BEI member organisations, the programme offered a rich exchange of expertise across sectors. This visit came at a pivotal moment for New Zealand as it advances with major infrastructure reforms, including plans for a 30-year pipeline and a renewed focus on delivering local water services effectively - creating significant opportunities for knowledge sharing and partnership.

Long-term Infrastructure Planning

With New Zealand undertaking major reforms to strengthen its infrastructure pipeline and delivery capability, the delegation sought insights from UK institutions recognised for global best practice. Activities began with a visit to University College London’s Megaproject Delivery Centre, where, alongside AECOM, the session explored persistent challenges and potential solutions in delivering large-scale infrastructure projects. A key focus was the transition from planning to delivery, with practical insights into procurement strategies and supply chain engagement. Discussions encouraged a more nuanced understanding of value creation in infrastructure delivery, moving beyond budget and schedule to consider long-term impact and adaptability.

Planning and managing future infrastructure needs was the central theme in a meeting with Matthew Vickerstaff, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA). The discussion offered a unique opportunity to explore how the UK is reshaping infrastructure governance and delivery. The session focused on how NISTA integrates long-term strategy with best-practice project delivery, supports departments in overcoming systemic barriers and facilitates private investment through a transparent infrastructure pipeline. With a remit spanning transport, energy, housing, defence and digital infrastructure, NISTA’s approach to aligning infrastructure investment with economic, environmental and social goals provided valuable insights for delegates in the context of New Zealand’s strategic infrastructure planning and reform efforts.

UK Water Sector Insights

The UK takes a structured approach to water-sector investment through five-year regulatory cycles known as Asset Management Periods (AMPs), overseen by Ofwat. These cycles provide predictability and transparency for utilities and investors, enabling long-term planning rather than reactive fixes. This is a feature that New Zealand, through its Local Water Done Well reforms, is keen to learn from as it seeks to create a clear and investable pipeline. The current cycle, AMP8 (2025–2030), under the PR24 price review, sets ambitious targets for resilience and sustainability with £6 billion allocated for capital expenditure - a fivefold increase on AMP7. Despite this uplift, the sector faces a significant backlog of upgrades to aging assets, creating strong demand for private-sector participation. 

A Turner & Townsend and Anglian Water workshop highlighted how collaborative delivery models are transforming the UK water sector. Anglian Water’s £11 billion AMP8 capital programme exemplifies the scale of investment required and the role of alliancing to achieve this. By working as integrated teams rather than through traditional contractual silos, alliances share risk and reward, accelerate delivery, and embed innovation across the supply chain. This approach enables cost certainty and resilience in major programmes, while digital tools such as benchmarking platforms provide transparency and data-driven decision-making. For New Zealand, these models highlight how programmatic delivery and collaborative frameworks can overcome procurement bottlenecks and build capacity for infrastructure upgrades.

The delegation also explored the wider context of the UK water sector at the British Water Conference. Driven by the Cunliffe Review and its call for stronger national planning, predictable investment pathways and data-led asset management, the UK water sector is on the brink of significant reform. With climate pressures, environmental obligations and skills shortages adding complexity, utilities are doubling down on innovation and partnership. Combined with initiatives to grow talent pipelines and digitalise programme controls, these strategies show how the UK is tackling systemic challenges head-on. For New Zealand, the lessons are clear: regulatory certainty, collaborative delivery and digital transformation are critical to building resilient water systems that meet future demands.

Innovative Financing and Operating Models

One of the delegation’s key priorities was learning about innovative financing models for major infrastructure projects, with the Thames Tideway Tunnel serving as a flagship example through its use of the Regulated Asset Base (RAB) framework. This model, widely regarded as a UK innovation, enables long-term infrastructure projects to attract private capital by offering stable, regulated returns and reducing investor risk. Delegates explored how the RAB approach underpinned Tideway’s ability to secure financing for a £4.3 billion project while maintaining affordability for consumers. For New Zealand, where policy reforms aim to create a transparent and investable pipeline, the RAB model offers valuable lessons on structuring projects to balance financial resilience, public accountability and delivery certainty.

The delegation also visited the Woodlands Water Recycling Centre in Canterbury with Icosa Water and Last Mile Asset Management. The visit showcased a tangible example of how financial and operational innovation can unlock sustainable infrastructure delivery. The project operates under the NAV (New Appointment and Variation) model, an approach that disrupts traditional utility structures by allowing new entrants to provide water and wastewater services in place of incumbent providers. This model introduces competition into a historically monopolistic sector, creating incentives for efficiency and enabling bespoke investment strategies tailored to new developments.

At Woodlands, the NAV framework supported the financing and delivery of a first-of-its-kind solution to achieve Nutrient Neutrality under the UK’s Habitats Regulations, which is a critical requirement for unlocking housing growth in the UK. The NAV model demonstrates how infrastructure delivery can be accelerated without compromising environmental objectives by combining regulatory flexibility with alternative financing. For New Zealand, this approach offers valuable lessons on how market-based mechanisms can drive innovation, attract private capital and deliver sustainable outcomes at scale.

Urban Regeneration

Urban regeneration was one of the defining themes of the mission, showcasing how UK projects combine heritage, design and infrastructure to create inclusive, future-ready places. BEI members Arup, WilkinsonEyre and Buro Happold provided insights into the UK’s approach to large-scale redevelopment, heritage preservation and infrastructure-led transformation. Early design leadership emerged as a critical success factor, not only shaping the physical character of projects but also building market confidence and community trust. This is essential for attracting investment and securing long-term support. 

Arup provided an in-depth briefing and guided tour of King’s Cross. They shared the multidisciplinary strategies which transformed from a neglected rail hub into a vibrant mixed-use district. The King’s Cross case study illustrated how infrastructure, sustainability and placemaking can be integrated to create resilient, people-centred environments. 

Arup’s influence on King’s Cross stretches back decades. In 1989, acting on its own initiative and at its own expense, Arup began studying potential routes between the Channel Tunnel and London. This work led to the government’s adoption of the Arup route for High Speed 1, placing King’s Cross at the heart of the UK’s high-speed rail network and later cementing its role as a focal point for regeneration when London secured the 2012 Olympics.

A workshop with WilkinsonEyre and Buro Happold explored landmark regeneration projects from Battersea to Brent Cross, highlighting why early involvement of architects is critical to success. Delegates examined how integrated planning, compelling design and sustainable systems attract investment, build community trust, and deliver long-term value. These discussions underscored that regeneration is not just about physical renewal, but about creating inclusive, economically viable places that balance historical character with future-ready infrastructure. For New Zealand, these lessons offer practical guidance on adapting global best practice to local priorities and using design-led thinking as a catalyst for transformative change. 

Nature-based Solutions

Nature-based solutions (NbS) and approaches such as Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) featured prominently throughout the delegation’s week in the UK. A standout moment was the Future Water Association’s event titled “Could the future of water be grown, not built?” which explored how working with natural processes can deliver resilient and cost-effective alternatives to traditional engineered infrastructure. The discussion highlighted the potential of constructed wetlands and SuDS to improve water quality, reduce flood risk and enhance biodiversity, while also supporting climate adaptation goals.

Speakers emphasised that constructed wetlands offer a proven sustainable approach to water treatment and flood management, yet their wider adoption in the UK faces regulatory hurdles. Complex permitting processes, land drainage consents and planning compliance can delay projects, particularly when near protected habitats or watercourses. Nutrient neutrality requirements and strict performance standards add further layers of scrutiny requiring detailed evidence of design reliability and long-term maintenance. Overcoming these barriers will demand clearer guidance, streamlined approvals and greater confidence in wetland performance. Success stories such as Yorkshire Water’s Clayton West Integrated Constructed Wetland, the largest of its kind in the UK, demonstrate what is possible. Compared to traditional infrastructure, this wetland delivers improved water quality, enhanced biodiversity and a 60% reduction in embodied carbon. 

SuDS principles were another key focus with discussions on how features like ponds, swales and infiltration areas replicate natural drainage patterns by slowing and dispersing rainfall close to where it falls. Effective implementation depends on early integration into site planning, robust modelling and long-term maintenance strategies. Retrofitting SuDS within an Integrated Catchment Management (ICM) framework brings additional challenges, from securing funding and public engagement to scaling up delivery. 

Projects such as Enfield Council’s reintroduction of beavers to London for the first time in over 400 years show how nature-based thinking can complement engineered solutions. By reshaping river corridors beavers create dynamic wetland habitats that slow water flow, reduce flood risk and boost biodiversity. Their return is part of a wider programme to address climate impacts and demonstrates how working with nature can help cities adapt to change.

Resilience in Road Infrastructure

Building resilient roads was a critical focus, as climate pressures reshape transport systems worldwide. For New Zealand, these insights inform strategies for safeguarding connectivity in remote regions and ensuring supply chain resilience. Arup’s roundtable examined projects from different regions and stages of the value chain, providing practical insights into how resilience can be embedded in transport systems. The discussion focused on barriers and enablers to building resilient roads and the roles of different stakeholders. Participants highlighted how proactive planning, data-driven design and adaptable solutions can help roads withstand extreme weather and rising demand, ensuring they remain safe and reliable for diverse users well into the future.

Building resilience in road infrastructure is increasingly critical in the context of climate change. Extreme weather events are intensifying, from track instability on UK rail lines due to peatland conditions to severe storms in Dubai, and the impacts ripple far beyond transport networks. Disruptions affect supply chains, healthcare access, local economies and essential services, exposing the vulnerability of infrastructure and the cascading effects on society. These challenges underscore the urgent need for collective action, knowledge sharing and the adoption of international best practices. Arup’s case studies demonstrated how integrating nature-based approaches, hazard modelling and shared metrics can strengthen resilience. Examples from California, Madagascar and the UK showed the value of flexible solutions and data-led planning to prioritise investments and improve safety outcomes.

Digital Infrastructure

Digital innovation is transforming infrastructure delivery, and the UK is at the forefront of this shift. Connected Places Catapult delivered an engaging workshop showcasing how the UK is leading in digital infrastructure innovation and applying these advances to real-world challenges in design and management. Delegates explored practical examples including the Digital Construction International Programme, which promotes global best practices in digital delivery; the Digital Twin Hub, a collaborative platform enabling better decision-making through virtual modelling of infrastructure systems; and the Climate Resilience Decision Optimiser, a tool designed to support infrastructure planning under climate uncertainty. These initiatives demonstrate how data-driven approaches can transform infrastructure performance and accelerate sustainable development.

The session also provided an opportunity to engage directly with UK experts, share insights and identify areas for collaboration between New Zealand and UK stakeholders. Discussions focused on how digital tools can be scaled to address infrastructure challenges such as climate adaptation, urban regeneration and transport resilience. Participants considered how to optimise planning and delivery processes and reduce risk while enhancing long-term outcomes through leveraging methodologies including Building Information Modelling (BIM), integrated data analytics and digital twins. The workshop highlighted the role of collaborative frameworks and knowledge, which help to ensure innovation moves beyond pilot projects and becomes embedded in mainstream practice. 

BEI and Beyond

Towards the end of the week, the delegation met with BEI members representing more than 40 UK organisations to explore opportunities in New Zealand’s infrastructure and water sectors. Discussions focused on asset management, digital solutions, engineering consultancy and sustainable construction. Attendees gained insights into current projects, procurement processes and future priorities, including the government’s Local Water Done Well initiative, which is transforming water services and creating significant opportunities for UK consultants, engineers and technology providers.

Speakers included Nick Leggett and Katie Bradford from Infrastructure New Zealand, Jamie Sinclair from Watercare Services Limited, Ian Purdy from ACC New Zealand and Jeremy Hall from the Department for Business and Trade. The Deputy High Commissioner of New Zealand to the UK opened proceedings, underscoring the strong ties that underpin these conversations. The day concluded at BEI member Beckett Rankine’s 40th anniversary celebration -  a fitting reminder of the partnerships, progress and people driving innovation across the infrastructure industry.

Infrastructure as a Driver of Growth and Resilience

The week’s activities underscored how infrastructure in the UK acts as a powerful catalyst for regional regeneration, economic growth and social inclusion. Beyond the physical assets, the programme revealed the systems and strategies that enable this impact, including coordinated planning across sectors, outcome-based regulation that prioritises long-term value and public-private partnerships that turn ambition into delivery. These approaches demonstrate how complexity can be effectively navigated through collaboration, innovation and a clear focus on outcomes for communities.

For the delegation, the experience offered practical insights into how infrastructure not only shapes places, but the opportunities for the people within them. From digital transformation and climate resilience to nature-based solutions and integrated catchment management, the UK’s model shows that infrastructure moves beyond construction, acting as a framework for sustainable development and shared prosperity. The activities, case studies and conversations highlight the importance of adaptability, data-driven decision-making and knowledge exchange - setting the stage for continued collaboration between New Zealand and UK stakeholders to tackle global challenges together.

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Written by Sasha Barnes and Sofia Pennacchietti