Whilst the first nine months of 2025 have proved a challenge for the construction sector with a range of project delays and cancellations across the industry, September is now starting to display a positive change with a strong wave of funding activity and construction projects advancing and commencing.
The regional awareness service offered by BDS for the GB construction & infrastructure market highlights market positioning and direction of future growth on a quarterly basis. The service is provided as an annual subscription service and includes four quarterly reports detailing a quarterly round-up of major construction & infrastructure activity across Great Britain. The reports include the identification of approved projects, funding commitments, and pipeline activity and include planning, funding and contracts schemes for highways and major projects across Great Britain (i.e. airports, railways, bridges, regeneration schemes, waterways, residential, and mixed-use developments).
Schemes and project activity identified within the BDS Construction & Infrastructure ‘quarterly round-up’ during Q3 2025 (July, August & September) include:
- Thames Water prepares a £1bn Major Projects Framework tender for AMP8 and AMP9 (AMP refers to a 5-year cycle that identifies investment & performance targets for water companies in England and Wales)
- Mace has been appointed construction manager for a £1.1bn new development of the British Library’s St Pancras site in London.
- The latest section of A9 dualling work has been tendered by Transport Scotland, with an estimated value of £205m. The contract includes dualling work of ~four miles of the A9 trunk road between Pitlochry and Killiecrankie.
- £38.7m has been being allocated to Renfrewshire Council to fund links between Paisley town centre and Glasgow Airport and the introduction of sustainable travel initiatives (walking, cycling, bus, and car routes) within the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS).
- Government commitment and funding of £23.7m was confirmed for the B714 route upgrade in Scotland facilitating easier journeys between Ardrossan, Saltcoats, and Stevenston and Glasgow and reducing traffic in Kilwinning.
- The Scottish Futures Trust confirm the Scottish construction pipeline is strong, with ~1,190 projects (until 2035) identified for construction. This includes £7.2bn of activity to be delivered by 2030, >60% procured through existing frameworks.
- Development consent was obtained for a £2.2bn Gatwick Northern Runway project to realign a standby runway allowing it to be used for departing aircraft. The scheme includes additional features including terminal expansion, taxiway alterations, hotel and office buildings, additional car parking and surface access improvements and utilities infrastructure.
- Developer Dorchester Living is awaiting a decision for an outline planning application for new homes on the former RAF Upper Heyford airbase in Oxfordshire. If approved, the scheme would generate 2,700 homes for affordable tenures, 900 assisted living units and 180 homes for key workers.
- Work is set to begin on a £41.8m upgrade of two key roads in north Nottinghamshire after the region secured government backing.
- McLaren is scheduled to build a £300m Cardiff arena with completion and opening planned for 2028.
- Construction of a new bridge to carry the A494 over the River Dee is expected to start in late 2026 to early 2027. The Welsh government has published a prior information notice (PIN) for the £145m River Dee Bridge replacement scheme.
If you are interested in finding out more, signing up to the BDS construction & infrastructure ‘quarterly round-up’ or obtaining quarterly information for all major housebuilding planning activity (>1000 units) please email contact@bdsmarketing.co.uk or visit the BDS website for more information.