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The Infrastructure Podcast

Antony Oliver

A new regular podcast series which features conversations with some of the key leaders and influencers from across UK infrastructure sector.

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24 episodes
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English

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S1 · E181
September 28 · 52 min
Heathrow's bold ambition with Helen Elsby, Nigel Cole and Harriet Wheeldon
This episode explores the future of Heathrow, the UK’s hub airport and a vital engine for national economic growth. The discussion was recorded live at the recent TwinTalks breakfast hosted by the Bentley Systems Infrastructure Policy Advancement team and features Helen Elsby, Chief Development Officer at Heathrow, the person responsible for turning the airport’s complex multi-billion-pound ambitions into physical and commercial realities. Helen is joined in the discussion by two key members of her supply chain: Nigel Cole, Managing Director of Infrastructure at Mace Construct and Harriet Wheeldon, director at Mott MacDonald. With passenger volumes continuing to reach record highs, Heathrow continues to progress plans for expansion to combat capacity constraints and keep passengers and cargo moving in, out and across the country smoothly. The scale of ambition is staggering: a £1.3 billion commitment in 2026 to conclude the current H7 investment cycle, more than £5 billion planned for the forthcoming H8 period (2027–2031), and the greenlighting of planning work for a potential further multibillion pound investment in expansion. As the discussion hears, Heathrow plans to build faster, smarter, and more efficiently to deliver maximum value for passengers, airlines, and the UK economy. Funding these ambitions entirely through private capital requires relentless operational and supply chain efficiency. From Modern Methods of Construction and the use of digital technology to collaboration across a nationwide supply chain, Heathrow must stretch every asset to unlock a 12% capacity boost, transform passenger experience, and drive net-zero goals. Much to get on with at Heathrow – so much to discuss. Resources Draft Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement Heathrow's H7 2026 plans Heathrow's H8 plans Heathrow expansion plans Interview with Heathrow COO Javier Echave Infrastructure Policy Advancement
S1 · E180
September 21 · 32 min
Gas to decarbonise with James Earl
In this episode we focus on the UK’s challenge to accelerate its energy transition and in particular the role that our world-class gas infrastructure can play. To discuss this issue I am joined by James Earl, chief executive of Future Energy Networks, the relatively new industry voice which is supported by network owner National Gas, and the four Gas Distribution Networks – Cadent Gas, Northern Gas Networks, SGN and Wales & West Utilities.. James’ background in the economics of energy make him well placed to explain how investment in the UK gas network can help to transform the way we decarbonise, transport and store the growing amounts of power needed to run the nation. It is an interesting and under-discussed topic. As the UK accelerates toward its Net Zero targets, the conversation around our energy future is often dominated by talk of wind turbines, solar panels, and total electrification. And while electrification is certainly critical to our decarbonised future, soaring demands due to new technologies like AI data centres, and geopolitical pressures are squeezing European energy supplies. The message from the industry is clear: a secure, affordable, and resilient energy transition cannot rely on electricity alone. Fortunately we have a mature gas network infrastructure literally beneath our feet really and waiting with the potential as a critical resource to support and boost the resilience of supplies, as a key energy storage asset and as a resource to spearhead the use of a new green gases. Lots to chat through with James as we get our heads around the potential of a whole-systems approach to energy future – let’s crack on Resources Future Energy Networks website The Institution of Gas Engineers and Managers (IGEM) Cooking on gas - Onward report into gas infrastructure National Energy System Operator’s report on Biomethane Hybrid heating systems
S1 · E179
September 14 · 41 min
Powering our digital future with Javier Cavada
In this episode we focus on the challenge of meeting the growing global demand for power. The arrival of Andy Burham as Prime Minister and the latest ministerial reshuffles certainly does not undermine the government’s desire to invest in the infrastructure needed to bolster the UK’s energy supply. But it is also clear that the acceleration of artificial intelligence, and the growth in the data centres powering the technology, has triggered a new and growing clash between the needs and aspirations of digital tech and our ability to power the reality. My guest this week is Javier Cavada, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Power for the EMEA region, someone who is without question at the heart of creating and delivering the technology that is capable of bridging this widening power gap. And he knows all too well the dilemma - while so-called hyperscalers are racing to construct gigawatt-scale data centre campuses within 18 to 36 months, delivery of the high-voltage transmission lines, substations, and generation assets required to energize these facilities often takes 5-to-10-year infrastructure planning cycles. We therefore face an escalating "infrastructure debt"; a systemic deficit where regional grid capacity, regulatory queues, and aging distribution networks are lagging way behind the relentless power demands of modern computing. This means that the data sector can no longer rely solely on traditional public power grids for their survival. Instead, navigating this bottleneck requires a fundamental transition toward a resilience-first mindset, one that fuses rapid network reinforcement and grid-enhancing technologies with on-site, so-called “behind-the-meter” generation and intelligent load balancing. From hydrogen-ready gas turbines and large-scale battery storage to digital plant optimization and industrial heat management, the technology is there to bridge the gap. But how will it be financed and how will it be delivered at pace? Resources Mitsubishi Power website JAC-series gas turbines capable of using hydrogen blends TOMONI® digital solutions platform Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) UK government drive to net zero DESNZ: UK government energy policy The World Economic Forum: data centres stats Javier Cavada Linked In Wärtsilä, Finnish decarbonisation specialist Highview Power
S1 · E178
September 7 · 43 min
Bringing Hospital 2.0 to life with Emma Whigham, Martin John and James Britt
In this episode are back with the latest in our series exploring the New Hospital Programme (NHP), the single largest investment in NHS infrastructure in recent decades. Hopefully you have caught the first two episodes on the programme published last February and December in which we explored the immense scale of this massive national endeavour and set out how the supply chain is gearing up to support the ambitious £37bn Hospital 2.0 industrialised delivery programm. Since our last podcast in February this year, ten delivery partners have been announced to work on the eleven projects in wave one of the programme which will be completed by 2033. In total three project delivery waves will see the huge programme stretch out to the mid 2040s. Today, we are stepping into the operational reality of how these state-of-the-art facilities will actually be delivered on the ground and how this bold Hospital 2.0 Alliance will actually work in practice. So lots to talk through and to unpack and to do that I am joined by a panel representing one part of the new Hospital 2.0 Alliance: Emma Whigham, the NHP Hospital 2.0 Alliance Director, Martin John, Strategic Director for Kings Lynn and James Paget hospital trust, and James Britt, Programme Director at construction partner, Skanska. Some context – historically, and as explained in our last two podcasts, NHS hospitals were built individually by autonomous trusts under a fragmented approach that frequently led to budget overruns and timeline delays. The new (H2A) Hospital 2.0 Alliance Framework aims to completely rewrites that playbook. By replacing traditional, often adversarial procurement with a 12-year collaborative ecosystem, NHP is backing an industrialised approach, leveraging standardisation, off-site manufacturing, and repeatable designs to speed up construction and drive value. But moving from theory to practice is highly complex. It demands an entirely new culture of transparency, shared risk, and collective resilience. So let’s dive in with the folk on the front line and explore how this radical approach actually is set to change things for frontline clinical staff, deliver consistent long term value for taxpayers and crucially, improve patient outcomes. Resources New Hospital Programme: Plan for Implementation Government hospital investment press release Hospital 2.0 Alliance Episode 143 - Hospital 2.0 Episode 152 - The Hospital 2.0 Alliance Supplier Guide. Skanska website Kings Lynn and James Paget hospital trust Queen Elizabeth Hospital trust Egan review 1998 Latham review 1994
S1 · E177
August 31 · 40 min
Unlocking UK potential with Paul Reilly
In this episode I am joined by Paul Reilly, President & Managing Director for the UK & Ireland at global consulting giant WSP. There is plenty to chat through with Paul today. We are halfway through the parliamentary term and have a new Prime Minister in the shape of former Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham. His administration continues to place infrastructure delivery at the heart of its national economic strategy. And with NISTA, the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority, now fully embedded in its second year, the focus has shifted sharply from strategic vision to the execution of an unprecedented £718 billion public and private investment pipeline. Achieving this vision, alongside the mandate to deliver 1.5 million new homes and meet critical net-zero carbon targets, presents a transformative opportunity for the infrastructure sector. Unlocking this potential requires overcoming deep-rooted, systemic hurdles: embedding digital technology into legacy supply chains, industrialising construction through modern methods, and closing an alarming deficit of 100,000 workers annually. Businesses like WSP have a key role to play in achieving the required delivery transformation. As one of the world’s leading engineering and professional services consultancies, with 12,000 specialists across the UK and Ireland and a global network of over 83,000 professionals, Paul leads a team capable of rethinking the way we turn ambition into delivery. Resources WSP website NISTA UK Infrastructure Pipeline 10 year infrastructure strategy
S1 · E176
August 24 · 42 min
An OBR for infrastructure with Sir John Armitt
In this episode discuss how the new Burnham administration can use host public debate to accelerate its plans for infrastructure investment and actually start to turn ambition into reality. My guest is Sir John Armitt, arguably one of the most prominent, knowledgeable and influential figures when it comes to setting and delivering UK infrastructure policy. As former longstanding chair of the National Infrastructure Commission, a past president of the Institution of Civil Engineers, former boss of Network Rail and contractor Costain, and the leader of high-profile infrastructure projects such as the 2012 Olympics, Medway Crossing and the Channel Tunnel High Speed Rail Link, he really needs no further introduction. Sir John is now chair of the new Public Private Partnership Commission which aims to overhaul how the UK selects, funds, delivers, and operates infrastructure. In a recent Financial Times editorial, John and the Commission advocates for a new Office of Budget Responsibility for Infrastructure, designed to, as he puts it, shield major investments from political interference and move decisions away from the so-called "Treasury brain." Lots to unpack there. Infrastructure investment is, as we continue to hear, critical to the government’s plans to devolve power, accelerate growth and drive living standards up across the whole of the UK. But despite huge amounts of ambition, delivery remains challenging. Decades of short-term policy pivots and inflated project delivery costs have hampered our ability to turn great visions into reality. This has to change. With a £725billion+ infrastructure investment strategy slated over the next decade, split evenly between the taxpayer and private markets, delivering long-term growth hinges on restoring investor confidence and operational stability. So let’s hear how political leaders like Andy Burnham can better navigate our 5-year electoral cycles and actually unlock the vast amounts of private capital ready and willing to rebuild the nation's delivery capability. Resources The Public Private Partnership Commission FT article "We need and OBR for infrastructure" Bradshaw Advisory website NISTA website Ten year infrastructure plan UK infrastructure pipeline
S1 · E175
August 10 · 45 min
Mega programmes for community benefit with Victoria Johnson
In this episode of The Infrastructure Podcast, we discuss mega projects, specifically their potential impact, positive and negative, on the communities they serve and the environment they leave behind. While historically the success of a mega project was measured in terms of its delivery to budget or completion to schedule, today these metrics have shifted wider and deeper as populations grow and the pressure of climate change bites. Today's measures of success and our focus on the human return on investment, the benefits created to living standards, including carbon reduction, economic growth and environmental improvement. In short, we're no longer just building assets, we're building the social and environmental scaffolding for the 21st century. To discuss this change and its impact on the infrastructure sector, my guest today is Victoria Johnson, Vice President and global infrastructure executive at infrastructure consultant HDR Engineering, Inc., who has spent the last two decades redefining the architecture of our cities. The episode was recorded during my recent trip to New York, where she chaired a panel at the Transforming Infrastructure Perform Summit organized by the Infrastructure Policy Advancement team at software giant Bentley Systems. Her panel focused on mega programs for community and climate with fellow experts including Stephanie Wiggins, Chief Executive Officer of Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority, the transit agency preparing for the LA 2028 Olympics, and recently wrapping up the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Victoria’s work with a wide array of municipal, state and federal leaders globally makes her an ideal expert to tackle this subject today, as does her glittering career, which over the last few decades has spanned advising the Biden-Harris administration on the historic $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) to her leadership in the US Conference of Mayors and the African American Mayors Association. Victoria certainly bridges the gap between high level public policy and street level impact with recent mega project work, including transformation of JFK, LaGuardia and Newark airports in New York, and innovative insights on planning of Olympic legacies at Milano Cortina 2026 and LA 2028 Olympic games, which shares more deeply in an upcoming white paper she is co-authoring in collaboration Bentely Systems and Bocconi University in Italy. Resources Championing Equitable Infrastructure with Victoria Johnson | Data-Smart City Solutions Investing in people to power our infrastructure | The Hill Mayors Business Council - United States Conference of Mayors Governor Hochul Announces JFK Airport Construction Sets Record MWBE Participation With $2.3 Billion in Contracts Awarded | Governor Kathy Hochul (ny.gov) Milestone Convening of ‘Equity in Infrastructure Project’ | The Equity in Infrastructure Project Transforming Infrastructure Performance Summit New York 2026 Victoria Johnson | LinkedIn
S1 · E174
July 27 · 37 min
Thames Water's reservoir plans with Nevil Muncaster
In this episode we take a close look at Thames Water’s proposed White Horse Reservoir in Oxfordshire – one of nine new storage schemes advancing under Ofwat’s PR24 plans to confront growing climate pressures, population growth, and the urgent need for long-term water security. The investment is much needed. No new reservoirs have been built in the UK for more than 30 years leaving an potential shortfall of up to 5 billion litres a day in England by 2055, according to Ofwat’s recent reporting. As if to highlight the challenge right now, Thames Water has this week announced a new hose pipe ban across the region. Clearly work needs to happen to reduce leakage but without new storage capacity we are heading for problems. My guest today is Nevil Muncaster, Strategic Water Resources Director at Thames Water and the man masterminding plans to tackle this challenge, including the £7.5 billion mega-project to build a 12 square kilometre reservoir near Abingdon. This facility is designed to hold 150 billion litres of water, drawn from the nearby River Thames during winter, and released to bolster supplies and secure drought resilience of up to 15 million people across London and the South East for the next century. Supporters call it a critical, non-negotiable insurance policy against a changing climate and a rapidly growing population. However, the path to a 2040 opening is far from smooth. Local communities, environmental charities, and councils have raised fierce objections over its massive ecological footprint, carbon cost, and the disruption of local livelihoods. Add to that the multi-billion-pound pressure that the investment will add to Thames Water’s already precarious financial position, which see the company currently saddled with nearly £20 billion of debt and racing against a looming autumn cash-flow crisis. So much to talk through as we explore progress toward Development Consent Order application for the project this year. Resources Thames Water White Horse Reservoir Thames Water website Ofwat Major Water Infrastructure Programme Ofwat RAPID Government announcement on PR24 Independent Commission on Water - Sir Jon Cunliffe
S1 · E173
July 20 · 47 min
Major projects delivery reset with Becky Wood
In this episode we examine delivery progress on the multi-billion-pound strategy and pipeline underpinning the UK’s ambition to place infrastructure at the heart of economic, social and environmental growth across the nation. Last week, NISTA, the government’s National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority published its latest Major Projects Annual Report. This document offers a transparent look at the on-going £924 billion government project portfolio, tracking 189 of the UK’s most complex and ambitious initiatives, from nuclear power stations through to digital transformations. Joining me to dissect these numbers and explain the bold delivery strategy is NISTA’s chief executive, Becky Wood, who has been at the helm of this organisation since June last year, shortly after it was formed, bringing together the National Infrastructure Commission and the Infrastructure and Projects Authority. Its role is help drive strategy and improve performance across this huge investment portfolio. Certainly this report highlights delivery progress but it also draws a line in the sand ahead of NISTA’s radical overhaul known as "Project Reset," which in April slashed its central oversight down to just 80 core, nationally significant projects and set out to demand sharper accountability and faster delivery. So, the question is how will this renewed focus help turn around the sector’s lengthening major infrastructure delivery timelines; and how can NISTA use data and digital systems to salvage failing projects and maximise value from every pound of the taxpayer’s cash. Resources NISTA website NISTA annual report 2025/26 Project Reset 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy Infrastructure Pipeline
S1 · E172
July 13 · 38 min
Modern consultancy with Milda Manomaityte
In this episode my guest is Milda Manomaityte, who stepped into the role of Chief Executive at the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) and its subsidiary, the Environmental Industries Commission (EIC) in March 2026. According to publicity at the time, her appointment signalled “a gear change for ACE group” and a strategic pivot for its role leading the sector. Clearly that caught my eye – what indeed has Milda got up her sleeve to drag the engineering sector up the political agenda and into the 21st Century? Well, given that the UK is about to be handed a new Prime Minister in the form of Andy Burnham, it seems a great moment to find out how an organisation like the ACE - which for over a century has been the voice of engineering consultancy - can ensure that this new administration makes the right decisions when it comes to the long-term planning and delivery of the UK’s critical infrastructure and for protecting and enhancing the natural environment around us. Milda arrives uniquely equipped to meet these challenges. She spent the last seven years at the Railway Industry Association (RIA) - and we last on the podcast two years ago about driving innovation, performance, and digital transformation into that sector - so she brings a track record of accelerating technology adoption and navigating complex government-industry relationships across rail. And at ACE, her predecessor, Kate Jennings, successfully elevated the trade body's political profile and established an ambitious three-year business plan. Milda’s tenure begins at a watershed moment. The UK infrastructure landscape is being rapidly reshaped by the rollout of the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) overseeing the 10 year infrastructure strategy, and the delivery of an ambitious £720bn pipeline of work across energy, water, transport and of course housing. But the challenges are abundant – project delays due to funding constraints and planning problems, huge challenges meeting our decarbonisation goals, ongoing lack of skills and of course the looming threat of Artificial Intelligence threatening to soak up jobs across the entire engineering design sector. So lots to talk through Resources ACE website EIC website Milda on the Infrastructure Podcast June 2024 Railway Industry Association EIC Nature as Infrastructure campaign
S1 · E171
July 6 · 37 min
Simplifying EV charging with Asif Ghafoor
In this episode we are talking about electric vehicle charging and the challenge of creating the truly integrated and customer friendly charging network needed to support the growth of EVs My guest is Asif Ghafoor, chief executive of BE.EV, one of the UK’s leading charging networks and someone who I’d say is pretty out there when it comes to honest appraisals of the state of the EV market and the fragmented "wild west” charging networks that now litter out towns cities and service stations. I last spoke to Asif on the podcast three years ago in Episode 24 back in July 2023 - seems like yesterday! But BE.EV is now five years ago, and arguable since we last spoke the sector finally starting to grow up- less of the “I’ll have a go” mentally; more strategic, customer and business focus. Certainly BE.EV is expanding and leading the charge. In February this year Asif completed a landmark acquisition of European energy giant Mer’s UK public charging network, adding over 1,600 charging bays across 450+ sites and seeing the business effectively shift from its northern roots to become truly national networks with large numbers of charging sites added across the south and now boasting over 2,500 bays. And still backed by Octopus Energy Generation’s Sky Fund, the company has established itself as the UK’s second top-rated rapid and ultra-rapid charging network, combining an impressive 99% reliability rate with a deeply customer-centric approach. BE.EV also recently led a pioneering partnership with Leasing.com which integrated BE.EV directly into the consumer car-buying journey, demystifying public charging at the exact moment drivers choose their next vehicle. BE.EV’s guiding philosophy remains fiercely simple: drivers shouldn’t have to become charging experts. So let’s explore the reality behind these claims and headlines, find out what’s changed over the last five years and perhaps unpack how charging networks can actually still underpin the UK’s low carbon future. Resources BE.EV website SMMT statistics Octopus Energy Generation Episode 24 with Asif Ghafoor - "Building the EV revolution " - 2023 Times interview with Asif
S1 · E170
June 29 · 36 min
Financing energy transition with Georgie Skipper
In this episode we return to the critical issues surrounding the financing of infrastructure – and specifically how private investment can be levered in to support the global ambition for green energy transition. It is clear that the global push toward net-zero is fundamentally a challenge of capital mobilisation. While global institutional investors sit on an estimated $100 trillion in assets, less than 5% of this wealth flows into sustainable or green development. This must change if governments around the world are to meet their ambitions for a green energy transition. My guest today is Georgie Skipper, the founder of infrastructure investment consultancy Lucetia, someone who has worked on one of most ambitious clean energy project ever attempted and who has spent the last few decades wrestling with the accelerating global green energy ambition. Because energy transition is a huge global challenge; according to a recent report by the Australian Government, the emerging South east Asian region alone faces an estimated $3 trillion infrastructure investment gap by 2040 in meeting it’s vital clean energy targets – targets that are crucial to the economy and its decarbonisation. And this kind of investment gap is a global issue; one that she has been highlighting at the recent Financing the Energy Transition in Southeast Asia series hosted by Bentley Systems and Lucetia Group in partnership with the Investor Group on Climate Change. The most recent of these meetings was held during the London Climate Action Week in June and before that at last year’s COP30 meeting in Belém, Brazil. And it is these practical solutions and investment in so-called First of a kind technologies to bridge the gap between strategic policy intent and practical, on-the-ground project bankability, that Georgie hopes to employ to solve complex green investment challenges – not least given that Lucetia was recently appointed by Singapore’s Energy Market Authority to develop the policy and investment guidelines for a new submarine power cable. So let’s hear more about the market, the challenges, and we can smooth and derisk the global sustainable and green energy investment challenge. Resources Lucetia Group IEA report of Southeast Asia energy Transforming Infrastructure Performance summit Investor Group on Climate Change Australian Government report on SE Asian investment World Meteorological Organization Green Grids Initiative SunCable project MIT Sloane School of management
S1 · E169
June 22 · 30 min
Construction’s digital imperative with Louisa Finlay
This is another episode recorded live at UKREiiF, the UK Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum in Leeds. My guest is Louisa Finlay, Chief Operating Officer and Chief People Officer at contractor Kier Group. Our conversation builds on a panel session that she hosted to discuss the construction sector’s digital mindset and skills needed to power up infrastructure delivery. Because the reality is that the construction sector has long been criticised as a digital laggard and remaining tethered to legacy processes. However, this narrative is rapidly shifting. We are moving on from the era of digital experimentation. Today, the use of data and digital technology is no longer an optional efficiency driver but a core commercial imperative. Tier 1 contractors and their supply chains face mounting pressures to deliver complex infrastructure under tighter regulatory and financial scrutiny. In response the modern construction landscape is being reshaped – like it or not - by cloud-based data platforms, generative AI, predictive analytics, and digital twins. Yet, the true barrier to this revolution is rarely technical. Instead, the industry is grappling with the need for cultural change, a widening skills gap, and deeply entrenched commercial structures that actively disincentivise data sharing. To unlock the value of technology, the sector must treat data not as an exhaust product of construction, but as a critical asset with its own lifecycle. So let’s find out what Louisa is doing about these challenges Resources Kier Group UKREiiF National Highways digital strategy UK Construction Skills Mission Board UK Infrastructure Pipeline UK NISTA
S1 · E168
June 15 · 25 min
Infrastructure for the future with Peter Hogg
This episode was recorded live at UKREiiF, the UK Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum in Leeds. My guest is Peter Hogg, Country Director for the UK and Ireland at Arcadis and we are going to spend the next few moment drilling into Peter’s perspective on the opportunities and challenges facing the UK infrastructure market as we attempt to invest for the future. And Peter is a great person to pose these questions to. Having just been elevated to run the UK and Ireland division, he has nearly three decades of experience at the coal face, delivering some of London’s most significant infrastructure programmes, including the Jubilee Line Extension, St Pancras International, and Heathrow’s Terminal 5. Today he is being challenged to define Arcadis’ strategy and set a clear vision for the future to embrace these challenges and opportunities – a vision that will hopefully help the UK to delivery the sustainable, resilient infrastructure that is critical to the UK’s future success, driving economic growth, jobs and better lives across the regions and communities of the UK. Resources Arcadis website UKREiiF UK National Infrastructure Service Transformation Authority UK Infrastructure Pipeline 10 year Infrastructure strategy
S1 · E167
June 8 · 25 min
In conversation with Construction Minister, Chris McDonald MP
In this episode my guest is Chris McDonald, MP for Stockton North and Minister for Industry, a brief which, of course, includes construction. Lots to discuss, not least since we have just past the first anniversary of the creation of NISTA – the UK’s National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA). NISTA was set up to accelerate delivery, unlock private investment, and improve project efficiency and last June was handed responsibility for delivering the government’s ambitious 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy, shifting policy vision into a £718 billion public and private sector delivery reality. Lots of opportunity for the construction sector; but the challenges are mounting: a persistent skills gap, volatile supply chains, stringent new building safety regulations following the Grenfell tragedy, inflation pushing up costs and the accelerating challenge of meeting net zero goals. Chris McDonald MP is the latest in the long line of Construction Ministers charged with supporting the industry to deliver this ambition. And as Minister for Industry his responsibilities go wider of course as he helps to delivery the Industrial Strategy, overseeing a portfolio that bridges the gap between raw industrial capacity and national renewal. So much to talk about – let’s crack on Resources 10 year infrastructure strategy Infrastructure delivery pipeline UK National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) Government's 1.5M housing target Construction Skills Mission Board Construction Leadership Council
S1 · E166
June 1 · 43 min
The Tideway Tunnel with Roger Bailey and Tom Kinnear
In this special episode we take a look at the recently completed Tideway Tunnel project now operating beneath London’s River Thames. Joining me today are two of the minds behind the delivery of this ground breaking project – Roger Bailey, Chief Technical Officer at Tideway and Amey director Tom Kinnear who has been leading the Systems Integrator role on the project for the last few years. Lots to talk about because the £4.5 billion tunnel has certainly been turning programme delivery heads as a rare project that has been delivered pretty much on time, to budget and is now operating to expectation. And it’s a project that’s not before time,…. because for over 150 years, London’s subterranean drainage and flood management pulse was maintained by the Victorian genius of Sir Joseph Bazalgette. His sprawling underground brickwork was a masterpiece of public health, keeping sewage off the streets and out of the Thames. Yet as the city’s population has swelled and rain intensity increased, his system had reached its limit, leaving the River Thames to bear the brunt as overflows from the combined sewage and rain water system regularly overflowed in the river. The Tideway Tunnel, AKA London’s "Super Sewer", has changed all that and is now fully operational. Stretching 25 kilometers west to east and up to 66 meters beneath the city, it has already prevented some 19.7 million tonnes of sewage from reaching the river. Which makes it more than just a tunnel. As former chief executive and project guiding mind Andy Mitchell put it, the project rekindles Londoners love affair with the River Thames. Cleaner water plus new areas of quality riverside public space mean that the public can now embrace the Thames as a positive part of city life. But beyond that, the project’s success perhaps represents a revolution in how we deliver national infrastructure, from its pioneering funding model, to the sophisticated digital nervous system that monitors every drop of flow. The reality is that the project is talked about around the world as having set a new global benchmark for delivery, funding and social impact, with the Tideway company recently recognized by TIME Magazine as one of the world’s most influential businesses. So lets hear more …. Resources Tideway Tunnel website Amey Advisory website Background to the Tideway project Bazelgette's sewer system Time Magazine most influential businesses Thames Water and the Tideway Tunnel
S1 · E165
May 25 · 36 min
Brick innovation to boost growth with Andrew Shepherd
In this episode we focus literally on the bricks and mortar of the construction sector’s battle to boost productivity, embrace new methods of delivery and hit its housing and infrastructure ambitions and targets. My guest today is Andrew Shepherd, Managing Director of Growth & Innovation at Ibstock Plc the UK's largest manufacturer of clay bricks and a leading provider of concrete building products. Andrew has spent his career trying to rethink products and create a manufacturing revolution that genuinely transforms the way housing, infrastructure and buildings are designed and delivered. Because for decades, the UK construction industry has been locked in a struggle with stagnating productivity and a dwindling skilled labour force. While other global sectors have embraced a digital and manufacturing revolution, construction has largely remained site-based, manual and vulnerable to the whims of weather and the inefficiencies of a fragmented supply chain. Yet with a multibillion pound pipeline of infrastructure slated; a government target of 1.5 million new homes; and a non-negotiable mandate for net-zero delivery, the industry can no longer afford the luxury of business as usual. So today we have to move away from building and toward industrialised manufacturing. And if you heard my recent podcasts with the teams at the New Hospital Programme, the concept of industrialised construction and standardised designs – Hospital 2.0 in their case – is now understood to be central to securing the industry’s future. This kind of transition requires big thinking and a bold pivot toward Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) and Design for Manufacturing and Assembly; shifting from the muddy construction site to the precision of the factory floor to unlock the speed, quality, and sustainability that the 21st century demands. Andrew’s mission at Ibstock is clear: how can the fundamental building blocks of construction – the brick – be used to solve the UK’s productivity and housing puzzle through true industrialisation. It’s a big challenge but one that Andrew is embracing with passion – so let’s hear about it Resources Ibstock PLC website Ibstock Futures Ibstock's new Nostell brick factory in West Yorkshire UK government Modern Methods of Construction ambition UK government infrastructure pipeline Hospital 2.0 - New Hospital Programme
S1 · E164
May 18 · 37 min
Heathrow’s investment ambition with Javier Echave
In this episode we delve into the infrastructure and expansion ambitions of Heathrow, the UK’s busiest airport. Last year Heathrow handled a massive 84 million passengers, a figure which has grown steadily over the last 30 years and continues to climb with the airport looking to top the 85 million mark this year. Investment in infrastructure – 100% private investment - has been the key to managing this growth – think Terminal Four in 1984, Heathrow Express in 1998, Terminal Five in 2008, Terminal 2 in 2014 But it’s fair to say that, since then, investment has slowed; first as the airport battled for expansion via its controversial third runway; then as the Covid pandemic decimated its passenger numbers and business model. But all this is changing. Last year the airport unveiled a £10 billion private investment plan for the next five years. And on top of that it finally announced plans to press forward with the long-awaited third runway project. But its a complex web of passenger upgrades, digital transformations and a race to reach net-zero. My guest today understands that complex challenge having been embedded in the airport for the last 18 years. Javier Echave is Heathrow’s Chief Operating Officer, a role he took on two years ago after nearly a decade as the airport’s CFO. As such he is now responsible for turning those multi-billion-pound ambitions into both physical and commercial realities; plans that will first expand capacity by 10 million passengers a year through investment in modern expanded terminals, transport and technology - before transforming the airport with a proposed £30-40bn plus third runway investment designed to take capacity to staggering 150M passengers a year by perhaps 2036. Bold plans so let’s hear more. Resources Heathrow 2026 investment plans Heathrow Airport green lights runway 3 expansion plans Heathrow H8 Period: 2027–2031 investment plans Sir John Egan - Rethinking Construction Heathrow Express Terminal Five
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May 11 · 37 min
A new vision for water with Chris Taylor-Dawson
In this episode we are talking about the once-in-a-generation reckoning currently facing the British water industry. Following the publication of the final report from Sir Jon Cunliffe’s Independent Water Commission last summer - and most recently the landmark January 2026 White Paper, "A New Vision for Water," the regulatory landscape across the sector is being completely redrawn. To discuss these changes and the implications for the supply chain, I am joined today by Chris Taylor-Dawson, Senior Director for Major Water Infrastructure at regulator Ofwat, someone who is, without question, at the heart of this transition. And there is certainly a huge amount for Chris to get across. To start with Ofwat itself will be reborn via a merger with the Drinking Water Inspectorate, and some functions of the Environment Agency and Natural England, to create a new single integrated regulator. And there is a huge amount of work to do on the ground following the latest AMP8 price review. Water companies are committed over the next five years to at least 30 major infrastructure projects, including perhaps nine new reservoirs, as part of a complex £50 billion pound major projects pipeline. And with Ofwat’s recent Economic Impact of Water Supply Infrastructure report highlighting that continued water scarcity could significantly stifle economic growth, the urgency is certainly growing. Fortunately, Chris is a calm head when it comes to meeting this kind of challenge and brings a wealth of experience from his previous career delivering major projects for National Highways. I last spoke to him in November at the Transforming Infrastructure Performance Summit in London and it’s fair to say the challenges have become clearer since then. Resources Ofwat website Sir John Cunliffe Independent Commission final report January 2026 White Paper "A New Vision for Water" Ofwat's Economic Impact of Water Supply Infrastructure report PR24 price review Ofwat Major Water Infrastructure Programme (MWIP) RAPID (Regulators' Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development) programme Transforming Infrastructure Performance Summit London 2025
S1 · E162
May 4 · 33 min
Technology for the next generation with Kirsty Ingleson
In this episode we. explore how infrastructure, arguably one of the most traditional and risk-averse industries, can truly embrace and embed digital technology and artificial intelligence as it trains and inspires the next generation into the sector. No question that construction and infrastructure are the backbone of the UK economy. Yet we continue to face a critical shortage of skills - as the pipeline of work grows we see older, experienced professionals retire without being effectively replaced by the next generation. Add to this the impact of technology which is radically transforming – or should be – the way that we design, build and maintain assets, and we have a cocktail of opportunity and challenge. To help us navigate this situation, I’m joined by Kirsty Ingleson, Head of Digital Innovation and Artificial Intelligence at Leeds College of Building. Kirsty will be expanding on our discussion today at a series of workshops to be help next month at the UK Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREIIF). In these workshops, Kirsty promises to challenge the idea that innovation is just about 'new gadgets’. and instead, argue that the real revolution is in how we think, how we learn, and how we build confidence in an age of uncertainty. From the power of 'reverse mentoring' - where a Gen Z apprentice might just be the one teaching the Site Manager - to the ethical tightrope of AI-driven decision-making, it’s a complex and challenging future. So let’s get stuck in to some of critical questions around how we train the next generation of surveyors, engineers, and site managers for a digital and AI enhance workplace. Resources Leeds College of Building Kirsty Ingleson UKREiiF show UK Construction Skills Mission Board Construction Leadership Council

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