The open letter from the industry’s captains comes amid mounting concern that infrastructure budgets could be raided further following last week’s decision to axe two major road schemes to fund greater defence spending

Twenty eight leading contractors, consultants, and institutions signed an open letter calling on the new Prime Minister to stick with the 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy and accelerate delivery rather than launch another review.

The intervention, led by the Institution of Civil Engineers, warns that years of political churn have created damaging uncertainty for investors and contractors, with Britain now preparing to welcome its seventh Prime Minister in a decade.

The industry leaders argue that the year old infrastructure strategy and accompanying pipeline have finally provided the long term certainty the sector has demanded for years and should now be delivered rather than rewritten.

In the letter they warn: “Now is not the time to rip up plans and go back to square one.”

ICE director general Dr Janet Young said: “The 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy and the accompanying pipeline have given the sector the clarity and stability it’s long needed.

“Ripping up plans and stopping and starting projects creates uncertainty, which can deter investment and drive up costs. It also delays delivering benefits to the public.

“Now that clear plans backed by the industry are in place, our focus must be on implementing them to deliver the infrastructure the UK needs.”

The unusually coordinated intervention comes as concerns grow across the sector that pressure on the public finances could trigger a fresh squeeze on capital spending.

Those fears intensified this week after ministers cancelled the A38 Derby Junctions improvement scheme and the A46 Newark Bypass.

The signatories argue that the priority should now be delivering the existing programme, building industry capacity and pressing ahead with reforms rather than sacrificing long planned infrastructure projects to meet short term fiscal pressures.