Market growth in private finance initiative deals has probably peaked, according to Partneships UK. Financial Times.

Furthermore the PFI and public-private partnerships face new challenges as the government attempts to devolve greater responsibility and accountability to local government, schools and local National Health Service bodies, said PUK chief executive James Stewart

But the move to bring PFI contracts back on to the government’s balance sheet provides new opportunities to create more flexible and adaptable contracts for health, education and other provision – helping answer the criticism that projects have proved costly and difficult to adapt once they are up and running.

With £57bn worth of PFI deals signed and another £22bn in the pipeline up to 2011 “we have probably peaked in terms of growth in the market”, Stewart told a conference on the PFI run by the CBI.

He added that there was still a steady stream of smaller schemes.