Balfour Beatty has begun work with SSEN Transmission on the development of nine Electricity Transmission projects across the north of Scotland. The work forms part of SSEN Transmission’s ‘Pathway to 2030’ network redevelopment programme, to which Balfour Beatty was appointed in August 2023. This first phase of works will see
Balfour Beatty Living Places today announces it has been awarded a £330 million six year Highways Maintenance contract extension by Lincolnshire County Council. The extension builds on the current six year contract which is due to end in 2026, extending it until Spring 2032. Balfour Beatty Living Places will continue
What you don’t change, you choose: Leo Quinn discusses the importance of listening and understanding different perspectives during National Inclusion Week Last week, I met with some of the co-chairs from Balfour Beatty’s five employee-led Affinity Networks – Ability, Gender, LGBTQ+, Multicultural and Neurodiversity – in advance of National Inclusion
Balfour Beatty today announces that it has partnered with the New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE) – a new and innovative Higher Education Institution that is revolutionising engineering degree education in the UK. Based in Hereford, NMITE has designed its curriculum to mirror real-world working environments with students
Working on behalf of Balfour Beatty VINCI, a team of 20 demolition experts from Solihull-based firm Armac Demolition have worked 24/7 to remove a 4,000 tonne two-span bridge over the M42 to make way for the HS2 railway in the West Midlands. The team used eight 50 tonne excavators and two
HS2 has successfully carried out the UK’s heaviest drive to install an intersection bridge structure beneath the West Coast Main Line at Fulfen Wood near Lichfield. The 56 metre long and 19 metre wide structure will allow Britain’s new high-speed railway to pass beneath the busy existing railway line, on its
Nearly 2,000 jobs supported by the construction of HS2’s ‘super-hub’ station HS2’s landmark super-hub station is today celebrating a key milestone as it marks two years of permanent construction. In June 2021, the then Secretary of State for Transport, the Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP, gave the thumbs up for
Balfour Beatty recently announces that it has been awarded a £42 million contract by National Grid to construct the Little Horsted Substation Grid Supply Point in East Sussex, UK. The two year contract will see Balfour Beatty design and build a new 400 kilovolt substation as well as two new
Balfour Beatty’s Group Sustainability Director, Jo Gilroy, has been appointed to the Board of the industry-leading Supply Chain Sustainability School (the “School”). The Supply Chain Sustainability School seeks to upskill those working within, or aspiring to work within, the built environment sector. Jo, who has worked at Balfour Beatty since
Paul Raby, Balfour Beatty Group HR Director and Executive Committee member, explores Right to Respect and what it means to Balfour Beatty and the wider construction and infrastructure industry Ours is an industry plagued by historical misconceptions; long heralded as typically male dominated, steeped in the imagery of spades in
Balfour Beatty has begun work with SSEN Transmission on the development of nine Electricity Transmission projects across the north of Scotland. The work forms part of SSEN Transmission’s ‘Pathway to 2030’ network redevelopment programme, to which Balfour Beatty was appointed in August 2023. This first phase of works will see Balfour Beatty provide technical solutions for: During this initial phase of works, Balfour Beatty will provide its expertise to support SSEN Transmission to identify and resolve any potential construction challenges, streamline the planning process, advise on the best use of materials, plan the phasing of work to ensure optimal productivity and scope out the use of modern methods of construction. In addition, and as a result of this level of early contractor involvement and the long-term nature of SSEN Transmission’s Pathway to 2030’ network redevelopment programme , Balfour Beatty will strategically map the talent required to deliver the nine projects, enabling the company to invest in capability and expertise, and provide long-term career opportunities to people in the surrounding area, including Apprenticeship and Graduate roles as part of the company’s commitment to The 5% Club. This award marks the first step in the delivery of the onshore transmission infrastructure required for SSEN Transmission’s ‘Pathway to 2030’ programme, which will contribute to securing future energy independence by enabling the connection and transportation of affordable, homegrown, low carbon power. Steve Tarr, Balfour Beatty’s Chief Executive Officer of Transport, Energy and Power Major Projects said: “As the largest power transmission contractor in the UK, we have a key role to play in realising the UK and Scottish Government’s ambitious renewable energy targets. “This early-stage collaboration is incredibly exciting for all of us at Balfour Beatty, as it will allow us to bring our knowledge, built and fostered over 100 years, to the fore of these ambitious schemes to drive efficiencies and speed up the construction programme.” Tony Scott, Director of Capital Development and Delivery said:“We’re delighted to have Balfour Beatty working with us to help deliver our ‘Pathway to 2030’ investment programme. “At SSEN Transmission we have a longstanding relationship with Balfour Beatty and the knowledge and experience that they will bring will prove invaluable in helping to deliver the critical national infrastructure that is needed to make net zero a reality.” As part of the Early Contractor Involvement phase, which is currently underway with over 100 people from across Balfour Beatty involved, work will start in Spring of this year. Main construction is expected to commence in 2026, with energisation of all nine projects expected by 2030. Construction contracts for these nine projects are expected to be awarded from the end of 2025 into 2026. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Balfour Beatty Living Places today announces it has been awarded a £330 million six year Highways Maintenance contract extension by Lincolnshire County Council. The extension builds on the current six year contract which is due to end in 2026, extending it until Spring 2032. Balfour Beatty Living Places will continue to work closely with the Council to maintain the regions 9,240 kilometres of carriageways, provide drainage cleaning services as well as winter and reactive highways maintenance such as gritting, road repairs and traffic management. The company will utilise its state-of-the-art Operational Control Hub, which launched this year, to monitor all activities in real-time and drive efficiencies across the local road network. The Hub serves as a platform for teams to promptly address network issues, facilitating real-time digital planning. It empowers efficient organisation of both reactive and emergency works, along with streamlined defect reporting in a dynamic digital environment. Steve Helliwell, Managing Director of Balfour Beatty Living Places, said: “We are delighted that Lincolnshire County Council have extended our contract by a further six years, testament to the strong relationship we have built. “Today’s announcement will see us continue to provide a best-in-class highways maintenance service, whilst offering customer focused solutions in a collaborative partnership and leaving a lasting positive legacy for the communities we serve.” Jonathan Evans, Head of Highways Client and Contractual Management Services said: “The LCC Executive unanimously voted in favour of extending the contractual arrangement with Balfour Beatty Living Places by a further six years ensuring long term service continuity and allowing both parties to focus on strategic improvements in service delivery. “In addition to this, we have secured a number of improvements for the residents of Lincolnshire and I’m excited to work with Balfour Beatty to implement these in the near future.” The contract will continue to employ a workforce of 183, including 10 apprenticeship and graduate positions as part of Balfour Beatty’s commitment to The 5% Club.
What you don’t change, you choose: Leo Quinn discusses the importance of listening and understanding different perspectives during National Inclusion Week Last week, I met with some of the co-chairs from Balfour Beatty’s five employee-led Affinity Networks – Ability, Gender, LGBTQ+, Multicultural and Neurodiversity – in advance of National Inclusion Week. It was an enlightening and engaging session, which brought home to me the importance of taking the time to listen and understand different perspectives. The co-chairs shared their own personal stories and experience of working at Balfour Beatty and naturally – and rightly – took the opportunity to tell it like it is. Their suggestions were practical and thoughtful, and off the back of the session, I will be taking firm action to ensure that we embed new initiatives and promote practices that will support us on our journey to becoming a truly diverse and inclusive business. I wanted to share some of the key outputs and highlights from the session. In terms of Ability, our Viking Link project – where we’re connecting the British and Danish power grids – is leading the way in providing accessible desks, automated doors, and level access for our employees. I will personally be looking at how we roll this out more widely, to ensure that we have accessible and inclusive workplaces across all our offices and sites. We’ll also be looking at how we can improve our welfare facilities to ensure that our sites have access to period products and sanitary bins. This follows the success of our partnership with Hey Girls, an organisation which aims to eradicate period poverty in the UK, which has seen us introduce sanitary products for employees and visitors, free of charge. The co-chairs of our LGBTQ+ Affinity Network described the importance of showing visible leadership, drawing the link between the small but important actions I can take as a leader to help our colleagues feel psychologically safe at work. Off the back of our conversation, I will now be wearing a rainbow lanyard with pride and will be encouraging others to do the same. At Balfour Beatty, we strive to create a workplace which is reflective of the communities we serve. Of course, every site is different and not one size fits all, but I will be working closely with the Multicultural Affinity Network, to understand how we can improve our approach across all of our operations, such as establishing multifaith rooms where colleagues can go to pray during the day. And finally. Did you know that one in seven people are neurodiverse? I didn’t until last week. These statistics demonstrate the importance of introducing small changes that can make all the difference to our neurodiverse colleagues from reading pens through to noise cancelling headphones. While the help is already there, there is without doubt more we should and could be doing to make these tools more accessible and we’ll be looking at this as a priority. The power of our Affinity Networks is the opportunity they create for our colleagues to lean in and make our company an even better place to work. That is why during National Inclusion Week, I’ll be encouraging everyone at Balfour Beatty to take action and make an impact. At the end of the day, what you don’t change, you choose. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Balfour Beatty today announces that it has partnered with the New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE) – a new and innovative Higher Education Institution that is revolutionising engineering degree education in the UK. Based in Hereford, NMITE has designed its curriculum to mirror real-world working environments with students engaged in projects to enhance their practical experience, arming them with critical skills and industry knowledge. With an innovative accelerated degree programme and more flexible entry requirements which includes no prerequisites of Maths or Physics at A-level – this is embedded within the curriculum and students are taught what they need to know – the forward-thinking institution opens the doors for a broader and more diverse range of students to pursue careers in engineering. Currently comprising 60 students, NMITE has ambitious plans to grow its student body to approximately 300 by 2027, having received vital funding from the UK Government in 2017. Through the partnership, Balfour Beatty will actively contribute to the NMITE curriculum, ensuring a seamless integration of industry expertise with academia. The collaboration will see the company provide industrial placements for students on some of Balfour Beatty’s most exciting and inspiring projects across the UK, as well as host seminars that provide technical insights into the construction and infrastructure industry. Paul Raby, Balfour Beatty Group HR Director said: “We are thrilled to join forces with NMITE and contribute to their ground-breaking approach to engineering education. By combining our industry expertise with NMITE’s innovative curriculum, we can empower the next generation of engineers to excel in practical skills and meet the evolving demands of the construction industry. “With this partnership, we can open doors for a diverse range of young people to enter the construction industry by catering to a variety of learning abilities that equips students with a well-rounded skillset.” James Newby, Chief Executive at NMITE, comments: “Our breakthrough, interdisciplinary model of higher education involves, at every stage, engagement with employer partners and work on real life projects. What better experience for our students to have than to hone their skills with a partner of the calibre of Balfour Beatty? Joining forces with this leading international group will be another fundamental part of shaping tomorrow’s engineers so that students leave NMITE not only work ready but as true game changers.” This latest partnership is a further example of Balfour Beatty’s commitment to attracting the next generation of talent, with 6.5% of the company’s UK workforce now made up of Apprentices, Graduates, Trainees and Sponsored Students as part of its membership of The 5% Club – a dynamic movement of employers committed to providing ‘Earn & Learn’ positions.
Working on behalf of Balfour Beatty VINCI, a team of 20 demolition experts from Solihull-based firm Armac Demolition have worked 24/7 to remove a 4,000 tonne two-span bridge over the M42 to make way for the HS2 railway in the West Midlands. The team used eight 50 tonne excavators and two 40 tonne excavators to remove the 40 metre long, 10 metre wide bridge during a planned 56 hour closure of the motorway. Six articulated dumper trucks transported the excavated material to a local stockpile where it will be crushed and reused on HS2’s haul roads and working areas. The whole job was completed sooner than anticipated, which meant the M42 could be reopened 14 hours ahead of schedule, shortening the closure to 42 hours and reducing disruption to road users. Armac was working for HS2’s civils contractor Balfour Beatty VINCI to deliver the operation during the closure of the M42 near HS2’s Interchange Station construction site in Solihull. HS2 Ltd and Balfour Beatty VINCI worked closely with National Highways and their supply chain to enable the demolition works, with all existing motorway technology diverted or removed prior to the demolition. In the last year, Balfour Beatty VINCI have also diverted power and telecommunications cables away from the structure ahead of the demolition. The bridge, which carried the A452 over the M42, was removed to allow for a new twin box structure to be constructed, which will carry the high speed line over the motorway in the future. HS2 has built a new, improved road structure and roundabout which now carries the A452, and in future will also enable access to the new HS2 Interchange Station. Oliver Shore, Construction Director at Balfour Beatty VINCI said: “It is through relentless collaboration with HS2 and National Highways that we have achieved this latest milestone in less than two days, overcoming technical and logistical challenges along the way. “The demolition of the existing M42 bridge will kickstart the next phase of works, with our attention now turning to the construction of the new twin box structure which is designed to carry Britain’s new zero carbon railway – HS2 – over the motorway.” Ian Clarke, Senior Project Manager at HS2 Ltd said: “This is another fantastic milestone for our civils team in the West Midlands, as construction of HS2 moves on at pace. The team did a brilliant job to get the demolition finished way ahead of schedule, meaning the motorway could be reopened much earlier than anticipated.” “In this region, over 9,750 people are working on the many complex and exciting feats of engineering to build HS2 over the existing network of roads, railways, rivers and canals – creating our new zero carbon railway to connect London, the Midlands and the North.” National Highways Senior Network Planner, Frank Bird said: “We’d like to thank motorists for their patience while the work took place and for following our diversion routes during the closure. “This bridge demolition was a really big project and we have worked closely with HS2 over the past few months to plan the closure of the M42 and to try and limit disruption during the work. “Given the complexity of the work involved, we’re really pleased to see the work completed ahead of time and it’s testament to the hard work of those involved that we could open the road earlier than planned.” Noel McLean, Technical Director from Solihull-based Armac Demolition said: ‘’Armac were delighted to be working again in collaboration with our HS2 partners Balfour Beatty VINCI on the first of three major bridge demolition projects in this section. The detailed planning that had been put into the project over the last 12 months by Balfour Beatty VINCI and Armac resulted in an excellent performance over the weekend. “A safely executed project, completed well ahead of the closure schedule, and not a single mark on the carriageway. Great performance by all involved – looking forward to the next one.” From the full closure of the M42 at 00.25 on Saturday 12 August, a team of 30 people removed the motorway vehicle restraint system and installed protective matting. The 20-strong demolition team then moved in to remove the bridge deck, wing walls, central pier and abutments between 07.30 and 17.00 on Saturday 12 August. The matting was removed, carriageway cleaned, and central reservation and verge restraint systems reinstated, ready for the motorway to be re-opened at 15.00 on Sunday 13 August. Coming up next, the Balfour Beatty VINCI team will now start to construct the huge twin box structure, which will carry HS2 trains over the M42. The structure, measuring 300 metres length by 25 metres width will cover around 130 metres of the M42 and will be built in position whilst maintaining three lanes of traffic flowing on the M42. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
HS2 has successfully carried out the UK’s heaviest drive to install an intersection bridge structure beneath the West Coast Main Line at Fulfen Wood near Lichfield. The 56 metre long and 19 metre wide structure will allow Britain’s new high-speed railway to pass beneath the busy existing railway line, on its route going north of Birmingham Curzon Street Station up to Crewe. The giant 6,200-tonne concrete structure, which was built adjacent to the WCML over the last six months, was slowly manoeuvred into place on self-propelled modular transporters. Specially designed for very heavy lifting, the 840-wheeled transporter with four carrier beams was controlled by a remote steering system. Over 61,000 cubic metres of earth have already been removed and the bridge structure has taken six months to build at the side of the existing railway. Over the two days before the move, the team removed the railway track and excavated over 15,000 cubic metres of material to create the space for the structure to be moved into. The operation follows other important milestones in the West Midlands including the completion of the one-mile twin-bore tunnel under Long Itchington Wood and the start of production of 3,000 viaduct segments at an outdoor factory in Warwickshire. Caroline Warrington, Senior Project Manager at HS2 Ltd said: “This huge feat of engineering – the UK’s heaviest single span bridge drive – is our latest big milestone as we approach peak construction on Phase One of HS2. We’re making fantastic progress on this section of the route, with over 9,000 people working on the project in the Midlands and over 29,500 on the whole project, providing a vital boost for British businesses and jobs.” Around 300 people working for HS2’s civils contractor Balfour Beatty VINCI have delivered the work, and a team of 200 people are working 24/7 this week to move the bridge, backfill around it and put the railway back in place ready to re-open next week. Chloe Foster-Chambers, Section Engineer for Balfour Beatty VINCI has been working with a team of 200 people carrying out the operation. She said: “As an engineer, big feats of engineering like this bridge drive make HS2 such a fantastic project to work on. It’s been a real team effort over the last two years, and seeing the operation successfully completed felt like a great achievement for everyone involved.” The operation happened during a nine day closure of the railway between Stafford and Rugby while Network Rail carry out upgrades as part of a multimillion pound investment to improve future journeys on this important stretch of the West Coast main line through the West Midlands. Work is now taking place at Fulfen Wood to replace the tracks and railway systems over the new bridge which will allow the railway to reopen to passenger and freight services on Monday 24 July. John Emery, Senior Sponsor for Network Rail, said: “I’d like to thank passengers for their patience this week while we carry out major upgrades on the West Coast main line in Staffordshire which will help to make rail journeys more reliable. We’ve worked closely with our partners at HS2 to combine their work with track and signalling upgrades in Colwich, as well as platform upgrades at Lichfield Trent Valley station to minimise disruption.” One of over 3,000 supply chain companies working on the HS2 project, specialist construction company Byrne Bros led the bridge build over the last six months. Tom Lyons, Construction Director for Byrne Bros said: “Byrne Bros are delighted to have been involved in such an amazing project. The BBV team have been fantastic to work with, demonstrating great leadership, teamwork and management of a complex engineering project.” Specialist lifting company Mammoet – based in Stockton-on-Tees, undertook the bridge move with state-of-the-art transportation equipment. Peter Schoenmakers, Lead Engineer at Mammoet UK Ltd said: “The Fulfen Wood Overbridge installation does show that with a collaborative approach and early engagement with all involved parties during the design stage of the structure, a cost effective and a most efficient installation method can be developed early on in the project. “The early engagement allowed the designers of the structure to design the bridge that suited the available and existing equipment to be used and no special equipment had to be fabricated or purchased. This approach is very important from a sustainability perspective. All in all, this was a great project for Mammoet and we are proud to be part of its success.” After this operation, the same transporters will be utilised to install another huge bridge drive which will take place a little further up at Streethay, where a similar 2,600 tonne structure is being moved into place under the South Staffordshire line between Lichfield High Level station and Derby. Once complete, HS2 will link London Euston with Birmingham, Manchester and the East Midlands. It will act as a catalyst for growth by improving connections between major towns and cities, opening up new employment and leisure opportunities for millions of people. Network Rail advise people travelling between London Euston, the Midlands and the North West between now and Sunday 23 July, to please check at www.nationalrail.co.uk or with their train operator to see how their journey will be affected. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Nearly 2,000 jobs supported by the construction of HS2’s ‘super-hub’ station HS2’s landmark super-hub station is today celebrating a key milestone as it marks two years of permanent construction. In June 2021, the then Secretary of State for Transport, the Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP, gave the thumbs up for permanent work to begin on HS2’s super hub station, Old Oak Common, in West London. Work on the site has gathered pace and significant progress has been made. A total workforce of 1,900 people are supporting the delivery of the HS2 ‘super-hub’ station, with the site itself welcoming around 1,000 workers each day. After being given the signal to start permanent construction, HS2’s Station Construction Partner, Balfour Beatty VINCI SYSTRA Joint Venture (BBVS JV) started work on the the installation of the 1.2 mile diaphragm wall for the underground box which will contain the six new high-speed platforms. The wall was completed back in March, with the team having installed 275 diaphragm wall panels and 161 bearing piles, the largest of these being 2.2m in diameter and 57m in length. The first base slab concrete pour in the western end of the station box has also taken place. The excavation of the box is also well underway with over 465,000m3 of London clay already removed out of a total of 930,000m3 from across the site. The excavated clay from the site is now being taken away via part of a 1.7 mile conveyor network, removing thousands of lorry movements from local roads. The conveyor was officially switched on in November 2022 by the HS2 Minister, Huw Merriman MP. Over 900 of the 1,600 concrete piles have been installed into the ground where the HS2 station superstructure and overground platforms for the conventional train network will be constructed. Piling work began earlier this year on the second half of the super-hub – the eight platforms that will be served by Great Western Mainline and Heathrow Express services. It will also become the 42nd stop on the Elizabeth Line. Platform construction will start later this year. The team also successfully completed the demolition of the Wycombe Line Bridge, over Old Oak Common Lane, at the end of May 2023. The disused rail bridge was removed following a weekend road closure, and makes way for the construction of the new Network Rail bridges which allow the Great Western Mainline track alignment to be widened as it approaches the new station. The team are not just focused on what they are building but also how they are building. HS2 is committed to eliminating the use of diesel on all its construction sites by 2029 and significant progress has been made towards this at Old Oak Common. The site has set a goal to achieve diesel-free by the end of 2024, with a collaborative team working on plans. Amongst a number of measures being taken at the site is a transition to electric equipment including the use of two fully electric crawler cranes, two of only five used across the world. There is also an abundance of green technology being used, including hybrid excavators and diesel equipment retrofitted to use more sustainable fuels. Speaking about the incredible progress at the site, HS2’s Project Client, Huw Edwards, said: “Here at Old Oak Common, we are well underway in our work to construct London’s newest super-hub station. Our work is supporting nearly 2,000 jobs and we are already seeing that the new station is becoming a catalyst for regeneration in the Old Oak and Park Royal area. “Upon completion, it will harness the close linkage with the newly opened Elizabeth Line, dramatically improving connectivity and creating a new destination to live and work in London.” Nigel Russell, Project Director for Balfour Beatty VINCI SYSTRA said: “Together with HS2 and our supply chain partners, we have made great progress at Old Oak Common having most recently celebrated the first concrete base pour for the station box. “We now look forward to continuing this momentum as we work hard to complete HS2’s ‘super-hub’, which will become one of Britain’s largest, best connected and most sustainable railway stations.” Later this year, the eastern end of the ten-hectare site will be handed over the HS2’s London Tunnels Contractor, Skanska Costain STRABAG joint venture (SCS JV), for the breakthrough of the Tunnelling Boring Machine, named Lydia, which will have completed the construction of an 850m long logistics tunnel from the nearby Atlas Road site. The SCS JV team will then receive two further TBMs delivered to Old Oak Common, in 2024, which will be assembled in the station box, ready to bore the 5 mile Euston Tunnel. Once open, Old Oak Common station will become one of the country’s most vital transport hubs, with services East, West, North and South. Plans to transform the wider area around the station, a former railway and industrial site, are being led by the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) and it projects that tens of thousands of new jobs and homes will be created around the new HS2 station. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Balfour Beatty recently announces that it has been awarded a £42 million contract by National Grid to construct the Little Horsted Substation Grid Supply Point in East Sussex, UK. The two year contract will see Balfour Beatty design and build a new 400 kilovolt substation as well as two new terminal towers which will support electrical conductors transmitting high-voltage electricity to the Little Horsted Substation Grid Supply Point. Once complete, the new substation will form a key part of National Grid’s ‘Little Horsted Connection Project’ which will allow local electricity distributer, UK Power Networks, to connect with the National Grid – improving the electricity supply in East Sussex. As part of its commitment to leaving a lasting, positive legacy for the communities in which it operates, Balfour Beatty will look to engage a workforce from the local, surrounding area and will also plant approximately 500 trees during the construction programme. Ian Currie, Managing Director of Balfour Beatty’s Power Transmission and Distribution business said: “As one of the leading high voltage substation suppliers in the UK, we are perfectly positioned to deliver the Little Horsted Substation Grid Supply Point. “Building on our longstanding and successful relationship with National Grid, this latest contract will see us improve the power supply in East Sussex, and help provide the UK with the grid connectivity required to meet increased future demand.” Works are due to commence in early 2024 with completion expected in Autumn 2025. At peak, the project will employ a workforce of up to 120 people including a number of apprenticeship and graduate positions. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Balfour Beatty’s Group Sustainability Director, Jo Gilroy, has been appointed to the Board of the industry-leading Supply Chain Sustainability School (the “School”). The Supply Chain Sustainability School seeks to upskill those working within, or aspiring to work within, the built environment sector. Jo, who has worked at Balfour Beatty since April 2022, was recently elected to govern alongside eight other Partner representatives responsible for the fiscal governance and strategic direction of the School, including; Wilmott Dixon, EMCOR UK, Morgan Sindall Group, Speedy Services, VINCI Facilities, Skanska, Laing O’Rourke and National Highways. Jo commented: “With the climate change emergency becoming increasingly more urgent, it is integral that the construction and infrastructure industry pulls together in the same direction. “I am therefore delighted to have been appointed to the Board of the Supply Chain Sustainability School, as we continue our mission to upskill and educate our supply chain partners on what it means to be a truly sustainable business and ultimately, change our industry for the better and the future.” As Group Sustainability Director at Balfour Beatty, Jo provides focused leadership and advances the group’s achievements in this area, whilst bringing her breath of international experience from SAB Miller in India, IKEA in Sweden, and the mining sector in Australia and New Zealand. Prior to working at Balfour Beatty, Jo was responsible for Kier Group’s strategic direction on ESG and for leading Kier’s sustainability framework, ‘Building for a Sustainable World’. She has also worked closely with government and key customers in the hospitality and retail sectors to address ocean pollution from single use plastics. In recognition of her work within the corporate sector she was ‘Highly Commended’ at the 2021 Business Green Sustainability Leaders Awards, and previously won the Business Green Sustainability Executive award in 2017, and the Rising Star award 2016 at the Packaging Industry Awards. Shaun McCarthy OBE, Chair of Supply Chain Sustainability School, commented: “We are delighted to welcome Jo to the Board. Along with her energy and passion, she will bring significant experience from both within and outside the construction sector and will no doubt provide valuable contributions to drive our vision forward.” The School’s vision is an industry where everyone will have the skills and knowledge to deliver a sustainable future. In April 2022, the School was awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development in recognition of the significant environmental, social, and economic benefits it has delivered to its Members and Partners. There are currently 155 Balfour Beatty employees who are active members of the Supply Chain Sustainability School. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Paul Raby, Balfour Beatty Group HR Director and Executive Committee member, explores Right to Respect and what it means to Balfour Beatty and the wider construction and infrastructure industry Ours is an industry plagued by historical misconceptions; long heralded as typically male dominated, steeped in the imagery of spades in the ground and hard, manual labour. But while a large proportion of our workforce is out on site achieving incredible feats of engineering and construction every day, the construction and infrastructure is progressively diverse and increasingly modern. This isn’t just in the people that choose to work with us, but in the wide range of technical skills and digital capability that we need to drive forward the plethora of mega projects that we are set to deliver. And as our sector evolves, it is imperative that our culture changes too. At Balfour Beatty, we recognise the impact that words and behaviours can have on others – both positive and negative. That is why when we launched our cultural framework, ‘Value Everyone’ was introduced as one of the five behaviours to which we hold ourselves accountable. We want to make sure that everyone feels completely comfortable at work. We’ve come a long way from some of the outdated attitudes many of us once knew, not just in our industry but in wider society, and so much the better. But in this fast-paced world we all need a bit of help to understand where the new lines are. No one wants to work in a sterile environment. We want to encourage our people to communicate, collaborate and enjoy being in the workplace. However, everyone has different tolerances and opinions on what is or isn’t acceptable and sometimes, actions – either by accident or deliberately – can make others feel awkward, excluded, or overlooked. In response, we’re taking action to help develop a shared understanding of where the boundaries are, and how to challenge unacceptable behaviour when we see it – with the launch of Right to Respect – a new approach to driving positive behaviours across our business and the wider construction and infrastructure industry. Successfully piloted with 1,000 of our employees last year, Right to Respect is the first step in a long journey ahead. We know that we have a way to go but we are confident that it will help us, and our supply chain partners, truly ‘Value Everyone’ through a combination of awareness sessions, toolbox talks and visible communications. It will allow us to recognise how the consequences of our words and actions can affect others and also empower us to deal with situations when the arise, effectively and confidently. It is our equivalent to Zero Harm for inclusive behaviour and will be launched in phases across our UK operations this year. It reflects who we are now and who we want to be. We believe that over time and with the support of every colleague across Balfour Beatty, Right to Respect will have the ability to change the perceptions that have loomed over our industry for far too long and bring fresh, new ways of thinking. It will encourage a more collaborative working environment built on respect – and will enable our industry to continue to evolve for the future. Read on our website here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
