Spotlight: Record offshore wind investment, Botley West solar refused and a review of UK rail costs

This week’s Spotlight is dominated by offshore wind, as RWE and KKR commit around £12bn to the Vanguard West and East wind farms, which the government says is likely the largest investment of its kind in UK history. Offshore works start in early 2027, with the farms operational by 2030, and the National Wealth Fund is putting in £1bn, its biggest offshore wind commitment yet. On the policy side, DESNZ has published plans for mandatory community benefits for generation, so developers should be building engagement and benefit sharing into project plans from day one (read our LinkedIn post on the policy here). Solar had a tougher week, with the Energy Secretary refusing the 840MW Botley West solar farm, the first solar NSIP ever turned down.

In infrastructure, ministers want to know why building railways in Britain costs so much: WSP’s Rachel Skinner will lead a six-month review of UK rail review of how rail projects are designed,  procured and delivered, and whether a steadier pipeline of work could bring prices down.  

In development, Greater Manchester has secured access to up to £500m for housing and regeneration through a first of its kind agreement with the National Housing Bank, while PBC Today asks whether grey belt policy is delivering in practice, and Housing Today questions whether the default "yes" around railway stations will hold up on the ground.

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Spotlight on next week:

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• National Housing Delivery Board (17 November): Angela Rayner’s new board meets for the first time, focusing on social and affordable supply, planning blockages and the building regulations that slow delivery.

• DESNZ Oral Questions (17^th November, 11:30am)

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This week’s headlines:

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ENERGY

TOP STORY: ✒️Prime Minister hails major investment in UK renewables | Press release from Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, The Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP and The Rt Hon Miatta Fahnbulleh MP

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RWE and KKR have made a £12bn final investment decision on the Vanguard West and East offshore wind farms, described by the government as likely the biggest investment of its kind in UK history. The farms are due to be operational by 2030, could power around three million homes and will support over 2,400 jobs, with offshore construction starting in early 2027. The financing includes £1bn from the National Wealth Fund, its largest offshore wind investment to date.  

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We’ve also been reading:

✒️ Mandatory Community Benefits for generation | Department for Energy Security & Net Zero

✒️ UK-Japan offshore wind industrial compact | Policy paper from Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

✒️ COP31: what it is and the UK’s priorities | News story from Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

✒️ The Balancing Act Part 2: Outturn   | National Energy System Operator

✒️ UK Pumped Storage: A critical energy opportunities open letter to UK Secretary of State about energy future | Open letter from Malcolm Turnbull, President of the International Hydropower Association to UK Secretary of State for Energy, The Rt Hon Miatta Fahnbulleh MP

🗣️ The price of cheap energy could be programme certainty | Building, OpEd by Simon Rawlinson, Arcadis

📰 Action on energy costs is my overriding aim, says Fahnbulleh | BBC News

📰 UK government refuses 840MW Botley West Solar Farm | Solar Power Portal

📰 Solar farms have paid customers back £30m this year, as sector welcomes Energy Independence Bill | Solar Energy UK

📰 Rare call for more electricity supplies as wind power drops across Europe | The Guardian

📰 Slight fall in carbon emissions from fossil fuels as Iran war drives renewables push | The Guardian

📰 BEAMA launches new group for UK electricity infrastructure | Manufacturing Management

📰 UK marks 35 years of onshore wind | Energy Global

📰 Nuclear sector says more reactors needed after Neso requested increased electricity grid capacity  | New Civil Engineer

📰 Berwick Bank B to support more than 2,600 UK jobs | SSE

📰 World's potential largest offshore wind farm gets power exports approved | Energy Live News  

📰 Gas power station paid £1.4m an hour to keep lights on as wind slumps | The Telegraph

📰 Britain willing to discuss paying into EU to join electricity market, says minister | The Guardian

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INFRASTRUCTURE

TOP STORY: 📰 Government to review cost of UK rail construction | New Civil Engineer

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The government has asked WSP’s Rachel Skinner to find out why UK rail projects cost so much to build, with recommendations due within six months. The review, first announced in the Northern Growth Strategy and reaffirmed by chancellor John Healey in September, will look at how schemes are designed, procured and delivered, and will compare them with other infrastructure projects at home and abroad. It will also consider whether a steadier pipeline of work could bring costs down.

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We’ve also been reading:

📰 Britain’s Data Center Boom Meets Growing Resistance | Inside Climate News  

📰 Britain throws weight behind idea for new subsea data link to Norway | Financial Times (paywall)

📰 BSI publishes guide to increase infrastructure productivity | Construction Management

📰 Sheffield to Manchester tunnel scheme wins funding | BBC News

📰 UK construction decline will give way to recovery in 2027 | PBC Today

📰 Ofwat appoints EY as independent monitor of Thames Water | Water Magazine

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DEVELOPMENT

TOP STORY:️ ✒️ Landmark agreement between National Housing Bank and Greater Manchester Combined Authority unlocks up to £500m for new homes and regeneration | Press release from National Housing Bank and Homes England

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The National Housing Bank and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority have signed an agreement unlocking up to £500m for new homes and mixed-use regeneration across the city region, the first deal of its kind in England. The money will be invested alongside the Greater Manchester Good Growth Fund, which launched a year ago, and builds on earlier collaboration such as Victoria North and the Stockport scheme.

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We’ve also been reading:

✒️ The Older People's Housing Taskforce Report: government response | Policy Paper from  Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government and Department of Health & Social Care

✒️ Easing the Burdens: How Government Policy Blocks Homes | Centre for Policy Studies

🗣️ Will the default 'yes' to development around railway stations actually be real? | Housing Today

📰 UK Housing Market Update - November 2026 | Savills

📰 Taylor Wimpey cuts completions forecast after ‘subdued’ sales in the autumn | Housing Today

📰 UK's Vistry starts cutting jobs as housing market pressures weigh | Reuters  

📰 Green light for grey belt: Progress beyond the policy | Planning, Building & Construction Today

📰 Over one in 10 large landlords built no social homes last year, research finds | Inside Housing

📰  Researchers suggest government is overestimating homes with outline planning permission by nearly 43% | Inside Housing