Thames Tideway Tunnel
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ISSUE 07 | January 2015 FEATURE Contractors top the risk register page 24 PROFILE INTERVIEW Mace at 25 – ACE’s new what’s next? chairman John page 18 Turzynski page 32 Produced for the industry by the Association for Consultancy and Engineering Thames Tideway Tunnel The capital’s next big adventure page 10 MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR News roundup As described in the pages of Infrastructure Intelligence this month, the prospects for a busy 2015 across the built environment are looking very at Sellafield and put the good indeed. RAIL Nuclear Decommissioning Despite the obvious political uncertainty thrown up by a General Authority in direct charge Election, continued investment in infrastructure is clearly locked into all Failure of new but untested was the result of “technical major party plans as a robust strategy for vital economic growth. plant and equipment uncertainties that made the Yet as we look forward to projects such as Thames Tideway Tunnel, used by Network Rail and transfer of responsibility Crossrail 2, High Speed 2 and new airport capacity making headway in contractor Amey Rail during unsuitable”. The move follows 2015, it remains impossible to ignore the constant challenge to progress renewal work at Holloway intense criticism of the private that still besets the UK infrastructure planning system. Junction north of King’s sector arrangement with NMP Certainly the system has moved forward in the 20 years since a four Cross Station has been which is made up of AECOM, year public inquiry scarred Heathrow Terminal 5. But a quick look at identified as a central cause AMEC and Areva by the Public of rail chaos witnessed in Accounts Committee (PAC) the work currently underway to winapproval for HS2, is still going on the capital over Christmas. and the National Audit Office. to clear Thames Tideway Tunnels for a start and that is about to start on Network Rail’s report into Crossrail 2 and you clearly see that the UK is far from an easy place to the reasons why hundreds A joint venture of Atkins, invest in infrastructure . of thousands of passengers Mace and Areva has And let’s not get started on the Davies Commission, and its ability to were left stranded on 27 Michele Dix becomes Transport for London’s project chief formally signed the £1.72bn Produced for the industry by the Association finally decide where to build new runways in the south east. December has also identified executive for Crossrail 2 in February. She was formerly contract for the silos direct for Consultancy and Engineering It is, of course, unlikely that solutions to our planning problems will insufficient contingency in managing director for planning and was awarded CBE in the encapsulation plant project feature as politicians jostle for votes in the four months leading to the the project plan for this work Queen’s New Year honours for services to the industry. Four at Sellafield. The AMA joint Infrastructure Intelligence Election. However, giventhat infrastructure is critical to all party plans, and insufficient planning to design teams have also been appointed to make the case for venture was selected as 12 Caxton St, London SW1H 0QL it must remain central to thinking as a new government is formed. ensure that alternative routes project funding. The winning bidders and project areas are: preferred bidder in April 2014. T: 020 7222 6557 Labour’s Armitt Review has already proposed an infrastructure for passengers could cope. ARCADIS Hyder (in partnership with Weston Williamson, The silos direct encapsulation www.infrastructure-intelligence.com Problems at Paddington were Vinci Construction, Interfleet and First Class Partnerships and plant project involves planning commission to embed long term thinking into the short blamed on the Balfour Beatty/ Dr Sauer & Partners) – engineering/technical aspects; CH2M processing intermediate level Editor: Antony Oliver, term political cycle. Now writing in this month’s magazine, former 07710 341082, Alstom Signalling Solutions Hill/Atkins (CAST) – strategic modelling, route development, waste recovered from one [email protected] Tory minister Stephen Hammond sets out plans for a Department for joint venture. It took ten planning, appraisal and evaluation; MTEW (Mott MacDonald of the oldest nuclear waste Infrastructure to provide similar long term investment focus. hours to complete the planned Ltd, Temple Group Ltd, ERM, and WSP Ltd) – environment and silos on the Sellafield site, the Associate editor: Jackie Whitelaw, And there are certainly many alternative ideas out there. two hour safety validation, Magnox Swarf storage silo, 07740 740202, sustainability; AECOM, Weston Williamson and Turkington [email protected] The good news is that the momentum behind investing in testing and sign off as testing Martin – town planning, economic development, socio- then packaging it for long- infrastructurecontinues. The challenge, if this is to continue, must work had to be redone or economic and urban design (See opinion p7). term storage. Designer: Kieran McCann, now be to find a system which allows sensible decisions to be made in rechecked. 0779 000 3972, [email protected] sensible timeframes. Seeking a solution must be a task for 2015. Proposals for HS3 have Potentially a fleet of battery ENERGY POLITICS Commercial director: Sally Devine, Antony Oliver, undermined confidence trains could run on lines 07963 934892, editor, Infrastructure Intelligence in planning for HS2 the too difficult or expensive to Longbay Seapower has A potential block [email protected] Public Accounts Committee electrify and help Network notified the Planning on progress of the Other material contributed by: has suggested in its report Rail cut its carbon emissions. Inspectorate of its intention Infrastructure Bill into law Bernadette Ballantyne on “Lessons from major rail to submit a planning was overcome as government infrastructure programmes”. Transport for London’s application to construct a has agreed to exclude Scotland Produced by Victoria Street Capital on It questioned why there had proposals to extend London 21km tidal lagoon covering from laws making it easier behalf of the Association for Consultancy & Contents Engineering, 12 Caxton St, London SW1H 0QL. been no assessment before the Overground services to 72 square kilometres off for fracking firms to drill for News roundup 5 This month’s top infrastructure stories go ahead of HS2 as to whether Barking Riverside received the coast of West Somerset shale gas. Fracking is part of The views expressed in Infrastructure Opinion 6 Comment from Uwe Kruger, Michele Dix, Nick Baveystock, Paul Sheffield, better rail services in the overwhelming support in the in the Bristol Channel in the bill which also includes Intelligence are not necessarily those of the Ailie MacAdam, Nelson Ogunshakin, Steve Fox and Graham Watts North were a greater priority. recent public consultation with 2018. The lagoon, which will legislation to create Highways Association for Consultancy & Engineering. The PAC also queried whether 90 per cent of respondents be a Nationally Significant England. The Scottish Interview 10 Thames Tideway Tunnel CEO Andy Mitchell explains the £4.1bn project Printer: CPG, 9-10 Orchard Business Centre, Department for Transport in favour of the extension. Infrastructure Project government, the Scottish Sanderson Way, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1QG. Crossrail 14 Tunnelling is finishing; time to think about the railway. has in place a proper strategy The Barking Riverside (NSIP), involves building a Labour Party and the Scottish T 01732 366666, [email protected] for major rail project development is the largest continuous breakwater wall Green Party had opposed the Politics 17 Stephen Hammond on the need for a Department for Infrastructure. 2015 Subscription rates: £80 a year. development. housing development site in spanning from Culvercliff bill but with the fracking Company profile 18 Jason Millett of Mace on building his infrastructure business. east London with planning in Minehead to Lilstock exclusion the Scotland Infrastructure Intelligence produces a weekly The first battery-powered consent for up to 10,800 homes (approximately 21 km long) Office said “the opposition free newsletter. Sign up at the website: Business 20 SMEs get to grips with outsourcing and tech investment. train to run on Britain’s but development can only be to create a tidal lagoon was content to withdraw its www.infrastructure-intelligence.com rail network in more than realised if the railway line is and associated electricity amendments”. Management 22 AECOM’s Richard Marwood shares tips on creating a successful alliance. Follow us on twitter @infra_intel half a century carried built. generating infrastructure with Join the Infrastructure Intelligence group Risk management 24 Contractors top the risk register, our breakfast meeting revealed. its first passengers in a generating capacity of circa on Linkedin January. The Bombardier A Costain and Skanska 2.8GW per annum. REGIONS Policy 28 More support needed in public procurement to hit SME targets. Class 379 Electrostar joint venture has won the Rail 29 Gerard Fitzpatrick of Sweett Group on developing a rail business. battery powered train also last Crossrail tunnelling The Nuclear First meeting of Transport known as an Independently contract, worth £40M, to Decommissioning Authority for the North took place in Careers 31 Matchtech’s Grahame Carter on securing talent