黑洞社区

The 拢10bn Hinkley nuclear plant and the 拢600m Mersey Gateway construction projects have been offered a guarantee from the government Treasury secretary Danny Alexander announced today.

Setting out the government鈥檚 拢100bn infrastructure plan in the House of Commons this morning, he said the 拢10bn project will qualify for help under the UK Guarantees scheme, which aims to incentivise investment in infrastructure by government underwriting some of the finance.

The UK Guarantees scheme is designed to unlock 拢40bn of major infrastructure projects, but to date only the Drax Power Station and the Northern Line extension to Battersea Power Station have been announced as eligible for UK Guarantees.

Alexander said the Mersey Gateway guarantee would be worth up to 拢500m, and would enable construction to begin early next year. The 拢600m Mersey Gateway will entail construction of a six land bridge over the river. Earlier this month contractor FCC and Kier won the contract to build and operate the bridge.

He said the government would extend a 鈥渕ulti-billion pound鈥� guarantee to the Hinkley project.

However, Alexander said the government had not yet reached an agreement on the price EDF, the scheme鈥檚 developer, will be guaranteed for the electricity from the plant, which is crucial element that needs to be in place before the energy giant decides to invest in building it.

The documents published alongside Alexander鈥檚 statement also said that Treasury was working with the Greater London Authority on plans to support housing regneration in Tottenham through the UK Guarantees scheme, and that 25 projects worth 拢13.5bn have pre-qualified for a UK Guarantee.

Alexander also extended the UK Guarantees scheme by two years to 2016.

Alexander also said that the government would invest 拢28bn in roads projects between 2015 and 2021, and confirmed that construction on the 414 would be brought forward two years to 2016.

This includes 拢10bn of investment in roads maintenance between 2015-16 and 2020-21, with 拢4bn of that focused on national road maintenance. The remaining 拢6bn will be spent at the local level.

Alexander said the 拢100bn infrastructure plan inlcuded 拢70bn of transport projects, over 拢20bn in schools and over 拢10bn in science, housing and flood defences.

Other announcements included:

• Committed to the investment needed to bring forward the around 150 schools left in the Priority School 黑洞社区 Programme - with the programme to be completed by 2017, two years early
• Committed 拢21bn for schools investment over the next parliament, including enough funding to build over 275,000 new primary places; 245,000 new secondary places; and open 180 free schools; 20 technical colleges and 20 studio schools a year
• pledged 拢150m for health research infrastructure
• 拢3.3bn over three years from 2015 for affordable housing to build 165,000 new affordable homes
• 拢370m in 2015 for flood defences
• 拢250m for a super prison in north wales. inlcuding 拢100m in 2015-16
• committed 拢2m to fund a feasibility study into Crossrail 2 in London
• confirmed the budget for HS2 had risen by nearly a third to 拢42.6bn - up from 拢33bn
• announced plans to sell off 拢5bn of public land and property
• the government will introduce a new presumption that significant economic infrastructure projects and programmes should be undertaken by specialist delivery units with commercial expertise, reflecting private sector best practice
• Highways Agency to be transformed into publically-owned corporation