Case study: The National Infrastructure Spatial Tool, MHCLG
Case study details
| Metadata item | Details |
|---|---|
| Owner: | Analysis Function Central Team |
| Who this is for: | All government analysts |
| Contact: | Nick Parlantzas (Nick.Parlantzas@Communities.gov.uk), Tom Smith (Tom.Smith@Communities.gov.uk), and Marina Mahmood (Marina.Mahmood@Communities.gov.uk) |
Team / Department
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG)
Situation / Action
A new digital spatial planning tool, run by the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), will layer environmental, infrastructure, industrial growth and housing needs. Spatial planning will provide further evidence to support place-based infrastructure investment.
A cross-government team has developed the national infrastructure spatial tool to support the 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy by assessing local infrastructure needs.
The objective of this work is to provide granular modelling outputs and insights to strengthen the local evidence base for place-based infrastructure investment decisions.
The National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) was set up in 2025 to combine the functions of the National Infrastructure Commission and the Infrastructure and Projects Authority. NISTA plays a critical role in providing oversight to the strategy and delivery of different types of infrastructure investments and the assurance of other major projects.
We worked with NISTA to develop the new tool; a single digital platform which brings together strategies, data and tools, including AI, to identify local infrastructure needs and constraints (e.g. energy, water and wastewater, transport, flood risk, digital telecoms) for housing, industrial growth and land use scenarios.
We have developed the tool by working closely with departments, regulators, arms-length bodies and other partners, to identify spatial trade-offs and synergies between infrastructure policies, plans and decisions.
Regional spatial development strategies will set approaches to local investment. These strategies should help local authorities play their part in delivering a coherent national vision – What’s In The UK’s 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy? | Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE)
Outcome / Impact / Results
The spatial models underpinning the tool provide local projections of infrastructure capacity and need for a range of systems and metrics up to 2035 and/or 2050. Future iterations of the tool will provide a consistent means for central and local government to test how policies, strategies and decisions interact spatially with infrastructure and to capture spatial trade-offs. By overlaying contextual datasets on land use, environmental considerations and economic potential, this work will provide evidence on where infrastructure can make the biggest contributions to economic growth.
The team won the Knowledge Driven Policy Making Award at the Geography in Government Awards 2025, which recognises the “application of geographic knowledge and skills to develop excellent domestic or international policy-making in action and have an impact”. The project was declared overall winner of the Geography in Government Awards 2025. The award-winning team also shared their experiences and presented the tool to a diverse cross-government audience at a live virtual event during Analysis in Government (AiG) Month 2025.
Further reading
- The tool was referenced in HM Treasury’s 10-year infrastructure strategy publication (PDF) page 24
- What’s In The UK’s 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy? | Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE)
How this work supports the Analysis Function strategy
MHCLG’s work demonstrated behaviours which support the Analysis Function strategy by supporting infrastructure investment decisions, using AI and spatial modelling, and integrating data across government and regulators
Find out more: a strategy for analysis in government 2025 to 2028