Portals for planning

Economic Week In Review | Issue 489 | 21 July 2025

UK construction and property

  • Infrastructure pipeline | The government’s digital infrastructure portal went live last week, outlining 780 projects. It will provide real-time updates on planned private and public sector projects that are at early planning stages, in development, or under construction.
  • Pipeline data | The National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) is exploring ways to support industry planning through greater data provision over a five-year period, across five dimensions: comprehensiveness, timeliness, foresight, transparency around uncertainty, and integration with wider infrastructure systems. It will allow for insights for better skills planning and visibility for investors. Currently, the data will be updated every six months but will increase to quarterly updates.
  • Pay deal | Through the Joint Industry Board, unions have negotiated a 14% pay rise for electricians over the next three years. Unite will also start discussions with the Electrical Contractors Association to improve terms and conditions for travel and pensions.
  • Nuclear lessons learned | Big Carl – the world’s largest crane – has lifted the 245-tonne dome onto Hinkley Point C’s second reactor building. The CEO of Hinkley Point C was reported as saying that the repeatable design of the two identical units has reduced build time by 30%.
  • HS2 reporting | The Transport Secretary has resumed six-monthly progress reports to Parliament, the first of which reported on the cost of the project in cash terms rather than the previously preferred benchmark of 2019 prices. The new CEO of HS2 aims to set out a full plan to get the scheme under control by spring.

Global economy

  • Global profits | A study by EY-Parthenon has shown that geopolitical and economic uncertainty has lowered the profits of global businesses by $320 billion since 2017. In the past three years, 40% of the changes in the total value of the FTSE 100 occurred on days when major economic or geopolitical events happened.
  • Food inflation | Extreme weather events around the world have been directly linked to short-term increases in the cost of essential foods in a study by the Barcelona Supercomputing Centre.
  • Chinese land sales | Smaller and less wealthy cities in China have seen sales of land fall to the lowest levels since 2011, suggesting that the country’s real estate slowdown has continued.

UK economy

  • Job hunters | The number of people looking for jobs in Britain has increased at the fastest rate since the height of the pandemic, according to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation and KPMG. Employment tax increases have been blamed.
  • Water regulation | Ministers will look to create a new water regulator after a review recommended abolishing Ofwat. The regulator has been heavily criticized for failing to prevent sewage spills, rapid debt growth, and high dividend payouts in the industry.
  • Property asking prices have fallen faster than usual in July due to high competition, particularly in London and for higher-end properties.
  • Inflation unexpectedly rose to 3.6% in June, an 18-month high. The rise was driven by rising food prices and leaves inflation in the UK much higher than its European peers.

Materials and commodities

  • Copper | Codelco – the world’s largest copper producer – says that 50% US tariff threats are causing “anxiety.” Companies do not know whether the tariffs will apply to refined metal, semi-finished products, or copper ore. Citibank has warned that prices will come under pressure later this year.
  • Iron ore prices are expected to see the first monthly increase since January as China announced a new mega-dam project and intentions to curb overcapacity.
  • Steel expansion | Taiwanese advanced manufacturing company Walsin Lihwa will invest in Special Melted Products in Sheffield, creating a new superalloy forging facility and a research and development center. This facility is expected to be operational by 2030, creating 200 additional jobs.

Environment

  • Green plans | Reform UK’s deputy leader has written to energy firms, encouraging them not to take part in the next series of bids to apply for guaranteed minimum prices for clean power provision (AR7). If his party enters into power, it will reassess net zero commitments and “strike down” those contracts, although those contracts are made privately by a company, not the government.

Friday to Friday

Price / Index Week %
change		 Annual %
change
FTSE 100 8,992.12 0.57 10.26
FTSE 250 21,898.26 1.32 3.94
Nikkei 39,819.11 0.63 -3.94
CSI 300 4,014.81 0.82 15.62
S&P 500 6,259.75 -0.31 11.48
Nasdaq 20,585.53 -0.08 11.89
CAC 40 7,829.29 1.73 1.36
Dax 24,255.31 1.97 29.37
$ per £ 1.3502 -1.04 3.99
€ per £ 1.1544 -0.34 -3.07
Gold £/oz 2,486.43 1.64 33.91
Brent Oil $/barrel 70.36 2.27 -17.25

Weekly Summary

The launch of the government’s infrastructure portal will be a welcome step, allowing the industry clarity over the long-term need for a large section of construction’s output, especially as it aims to combine public and private sector information. One previously rumoured suggestion was for the pipeline to include job estimates for each scheme, allowing for proper skills planning, but this appears not to be an immediate consideration.

However, for true certainty in a future pipeline, businesses need to be confident that schemes are funded and deliverable, rather than revisiting the fate of previous infrastructure pipelines.

Author contact

Rachel Coleman
Rachel Coleman,
Associate Research Analyst
Kishan Patel
Kishan Patel,
Research Analyst

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