Should public infrastructure projects be assessed individually or as part of wider regional investment plans?

The government has announced changes to how public investment projects are assessed, allowing related local projects to be considered together rather than individually.

Traditionally, infrastructure projects have often been assessed separately, based on their individual costs and expected benefits.

Assessing projects as part of wider regional investment plans allows their combined impact to be considered, while individual assessments provide clearer scrutiny of each project's costs and benefits.