Long read: The most difficult and complex market to contract in

The UK likes to tell a good infrastructure story. On paper, the pipeline looks strong: the 3.2 GW Sizewell C nuclear project, a 1.5 GW floating wind zone in the Celtic Sea, renewed talk of Heathrow’s third runway, and Scotland’s pledge to lift offshore wind capacity to 40 GW. Yet beneath the announcements lies a system straining under its own weight.

From HS2’s ballooning costs to stalled onshore renewables and offshore wind projects delayed at FID, the country’s delivery machine looks anything but efficient. Across the heavy transport and abnormal load sector, outdated permit processes, fragmented local decision-making and mounting red tape are throttling progress.

This investigation finds that even where policy intent is clear — from water-preferred transport routes to private escorting reform — implementation falters. The result is a patchwork of local authority delays, escalating costs, and risk pushed down the supply chain. The UK may still promise big, but joined-up delivery remains a distant goal.