Writing on Willmott Dixon’s website, Defence Sector Lead Keith Yarham said the Government’s Defence Investment Plan establishes a substantial construction programme, but industry still needs clarity on sequencing and procurement before investing in delivery capacity.
£22.7bn defence estate programme
The Government’s Defence Investment Plan is backed by £298bn over four years, including £22.7bn for defence infrastructure and the estate. Longer-term commitments include £26bn for Project Royal Oak, £24bn for the Army’s Project Castra and £10bn for the RAF’s Project Trenchard.
In an article titled The Defence Investment Plan sets a direction – the Recapitalisation Plan must provide detail, Yarham welcomed the scale and delivery horizon but said the figures do not yet provide the information needed to shape construction capacity.
“The DIP tells us the scale. The Recapitalisation Plan is what will tell us the sequence,” he wrote.
Industry needs a sequenced pipeline
The 2025 Strategic Defence Review called for a ten-year infrastructure Recapitalisation Plan identifying priorities, estimated costs and provisional delivery timelines across the defence estate.
Yarham argued that clearer information on what will be procured, where and through which routes would allow firms to recruit, establish vetted supply chains and invest responsibly in offsite manufacturing.
He also urged industry to prepare through standardised designs, productised solutions, collaborative delivery and early investment in security readiness.
“The direction is set; give us the detail, and we will deliver,” he concluded.
Image credit: Willmott Dixon
Source: Willmott Dixon website article
