The £104bn Challenge: Turning AMP8 Investment into Customer Outcomes

Recent industry commentary has highlighted growing concern that delays to programme mobilisation could create significant delivery challenges later in the AMP8 cycle. 

Asset Management Period 8 (or Asset Management Plan 8). It is the five-year regulatory and investment cycle for the water and sewerage industry in England and Wales, running from April 2025 to March 2030 and overseen by the regulator Ofwat. 

More than a year into the current water asset management period, some projects remain in the early stages of procurement, planning and mobilisation. Industry leaders have warned that if delivery programmes become compressed into a shorter timeframe, the sector could face increasing pressure on resources, skills and supply chain capacity. 

With Ofwat approving approximately £104bn of investment across England and Wales between 2025 and 2030, the water sector is embarking on one of the largest infrastructure delivery programmes in its history.  

The focus now must be on ensuring that investment is translated into outcomes and as a delivery partner supporting major infrastructure programmes across the UK and Ireland, we see first-hand the challenges that sit between investment approval and successful delivery. 

The conversation around AMP8 often focuses on funding, regulation and programme commitments. Delivery is shaped by a much wider set of factors: securing access to land, engaging communities, navigating planning requirements, coordinating stakeholders, managing environmental constraints and mobilising specialist expertise at the right time. 

These challenges are not unique to the water sector. They are common to every major infrastructure programme. The difference with AMP8 is the scale at which they now need to be addressed. 

The organisations that move fastest will not necessarily be those with the largest programmes. They will be those that engage early and build delivery models that give them access to the expertise and capacity they need when they need it. 

Delivery at Unprecedented Scale 

Water companies are expected to deliver major programmes spanning wastewater treatment, network upgrades, resilience projects, environmental improvements and strategic water resource infrastructure. Alongside Ofwat’s core investment programme, initiatives such as RAPID are progressing some of the largest water resource projects seen in decades. 

At the same time, companies are operating in an environment where public trust remains under significant pressure. Recent customer research found trust in water companies has fallen to its lowest level in 15 years, while concerns about affordability and bill increases continue to grow. 

Customers are paying more. Communities will experience disruption as projects are delivered. Expectations for environmental improvement have never been higher. 

The sector therefore has a relatively small window to demonstrate that investment is translating into visible positive outcomes. 

For organisations, the ability to access skills, expertise and delivery capacity at pace is going to be critical. Recent analysis by KPMG and British Water highlighted the need for a significant increase in delivery capability across the sector, warning that achieving AMP8 ambitions will require greater collaboration, improved programme certainty and stronger integration between clients and supply chains. 

Delivery Happens Long Before Construction Starts 

When people think about infrastructure delivery, they often think about construction. 

Many of the factors that determine whether a project succeeds are resolved long before a contractor arrives on site. 

Land access, stakeholder engagement, planning strategy, environmental assessments, consenting processes and community consultation all influence programme certainty. Delays in any one of these areas can have consequences throughout the project lifecycle. 

As AMP8 progresses, the sector’s ability to address these issues early will be just as important as its ability to build infrastructure efficiently. Projects need to identify challenges early, engage the right expertise and create clear pathways to delivery. 

No Organisation Can Deliver in Isolation 

One of the most important lessons from the infrastructure programmes we support across the UK and Ireland is that delivery is a collective effort. The scale of investment is simply too great, the programmes too diverse and the timelines too demanding for any single organisation to succeed in isolation. 

The ability to draw on the expertise that already exists across the wider delivery ecosystem unlocks long-term success. Land specialists, planning consultants, stakeholder engagement teams, environmental advisors, programme managers and infrastructure delivery partners all have a role to play in helping projects move from concept to construction. 

Maintaining momentum will require organisations to engage specialist partners early and adopt agile delivery models that provide rapid access to the expertise and capacity they need. 

Given the volume of activity planned across the sector, competition for specialist skills, environmental expertise, land services, planning support and programme management capability is only likely to increase as AMP8 progresses. 

The Public Will Judge Outcomes, Not Investment Values 

Few sectors face the level of scrutiny currently directed towards water companies. Significant bill increases, environmental concerns and heightened media attention mean that many customers are questioning whether they are receiving value for money. 

At the same time, the infrastructure required to improve outcomes will inevitably create disruption. Construction activity will increase and roads will be affected. Communities will experience temporary inconvenience. 

This creates a delicate balancing act to maintain public trust. Companies must demonstrate that today’s disruption is creating tomorrow’s benefit. 

Customers are unlikely to judge AMP8 on the £104bn investment figure, regulatory milestones or programme metrics. They will judge it on cleaner rivers, more resilient water supplies, reduced flooding, improved environmental performance and better service. 

Those are the outcomes that matter. 

Looking Ahead 

Infrastructure programmes succeed when land, stakeholders, planning, environmental requirements and delivery teams are aligned behind a shared objective. When these workstreams are considered in isolation, delays become more likely and programme risk increases. 

Creating certainty requires organisations to look beyond individual projects and consider the wider delivery ecosystem. The earlier risks are identified and addressed, the greater the opportunity to maintain momentum and deliver outcomes efficiently. 

Achieving that requires collaboration, agility and access to specialist expertise across the entire delivery lifecycle. 

Bring the right expertise into programmes early, maintain momentum through delivery and keep customer outcomes at the centre of decision-making to deliver long-term, customer and community centred outcomes.