To plug the UK’s infrastructure funding gap, a new VCT-style ‘infrastructure capital trust’ could unlock billions in retail investment for crucial local projects, says Bernard Fairman

An “encouraging” 0.1% improvement in growth forecasts might, if the Chancellor is right, indicate a more fruitful economic spell for the UK. This sounds optimistic. Sustained growth in this country has been hampered for a long time, and with constrained public finances, any meaningful investment in UK companies and infrastructure must be found elsewhere.

The Government has detailed commendable commitments to increase investment into infrastructure, and is naturally focusing on major, long-term projects with national impact, such as the third runway at London Heathrow. Meanwhile, our many smaller and medium-sized infrastructure projects across the country are stalling. This reflects widely acknowledged bottlenecks in our regulatory systems and insufficient funds being available from banks and other financial institutions.

We now have an........

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