Infrastructure Strategy to address school maintenance backlog

The government has published a 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy, designed to address the maintenance backlog in schools, colleges, hospitals and courts.

The strategy sets out a long-term plan or how the government will invest in infrastructure and ensure that funding is spent effectively and efficiently.

It is hoped that the plans will encourage inward investment by providing a long-term vision that gives investors the confidence and certainty they need to commit funding to projects, creating job opportunities and boosting living standards for people across the country.

The plans are already backed by at least £725 billion of government funding over the coming decade, from which at least £9 billion will be allocated in 2025-26 to address the critical maintenance needs of health, education and justice estates. This will rise by over £10 billion per year by 2034-35. 

In turn, it is hoped that this will increase access to quality, modern public services, following years of underinvestment, and deliver significant real-world benefits for patients, students, staff, and communities.

For education, spending on school and college maintenance will rise to almost £3 billion annually, transforming learning environments across England and providing safe and high-quality spaces for children and young people, improving educational outcomes and breaking down barriers to opportunity.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves said: "Infrastructure is crucial to unlocking growth across the country, but for too long investment has been squeezed. Crumbling public buildings are a sign of the decay that has seeped into our everyday lives because of a total failure to plan and invest.

"We’re not just fixing buildings – we’re enhancing public services, improving lives and creating the conditions for sustainable economic growth in communities throughout the UK.

"This will deliver the decade of national renewal we promised Britain, and fulfil our Plan for Change goals to kickstart economic growth, and build an NHS fit for the future."

Courts, hospitals, and transport will also receive huge boosts in investment to fix critical maintenance backlog issues.