Galliford Try has launched a new arrangement with selected consultant designers that will enable water industry clients to meet their AMP8 programme objectives by having access to guaranteed levels of high-quality design engineering resource.

The arrangement, set up by Galliford Try’s Environment business, is a first for the water industry and includes AtkinsRéalis, WSP, Binnies, Sweco and GHD in an innovative collaboration.

Wayne Hickling Managing Director, Midlands & West Asset Creation for Galliford Try’s Environment business, who has led the initiative, said:

“We are delighted to be the first contractor to offer this unique and innovative arrangement which gives our clients guaranteed levels of quality resource availability to deliver their schemes now and as they move into AMP8.

“This new agile way of working together collaboratively is an attractive differentiator for engineering delivery and a key part of our Source to Sea strategy as our clients seek to work with contractors with a strong supply chain capable of supporting them to tackle the challenges of ageing infrastructure, climate change resilience, funding pressure and a stringent regulatory environment.”

Under the arrangement, the partners will enhance Galliford Try’s own significant in-house design capability by guaranteeing secure levels of expertise across Galliford Try’s UK portfolio, providing an unrivalled offering to the water industry.

AtkinsRéalis Global Market Director for Water, Richard Whale, commented:

“The challenges associated with climate change, enhanced regulation and population growth necessitates unprecedented levels of investment in the UK’s critical water and wastewater infrastructure.  

“This challenge requires a paradigm shift in collaboration in delivery and I’m genuinely excited to be working with Galliford Try and our partners in such an innovative framework arrangement which is designed to deliver value to our clients and their customers.”

The initiative, known as GT5C, boasts UK-wide reach with local approach and specialist skills across feasibility, outline design, detailed design and ongoing technical services – supporting Galliford Try’s existing multi-disciplinary in-house design capability.

Blair Mitchell, Managing Director, Water at WSP, said:

“We’re delighted to be working with Galliford Try as part of its new panel arrangement to provide high quality engineering and design services to the water industry. Collaboration is crucial in ensuring the UK’s world-class water and wastewater services continue to deliver for communities and are able to adapt to changing customer behaviour, to our changing climate and to wider economic pressures.”

GT5C will also cater for active resource management across geographies to meet higher demand in specific areas using regional resources, while delivering improvements in service quality and efficiency through the use of a common service level agreement, data transfer environment, performance management regime and standardised terms and conditions. Galliford Try said these and other unique aspects of the new arrangements will allow partners to work with in a closer and more agile way that mirrors their internal design capability.

Lindsay Taylor, who will take up the post of Water Director, Sweco UK, on 18 March, said the strategic relationship with Galliford Try, as part of GT5C would enable Sweco to support Galliford Try to work collaboratively across the UK water industry to deliver programmes on a scale that has not been seen before in previous AMPs.

Moray Cotter, Binnies Director of Engineering added:

“This initiative allows Binnies to bring its wide-ranging engineering services and rich history of delivery in water to provide sustainable and affordable solutions to a wide range of water clients. Additionally, it strengthens our long-standing relationship with Galliford Try and adds resource resilience to the water sector”

John Hensman, UK Market Leader for Water at GHD said GT5C would finally formalise an already collaborative relationship with Galliford Try into an industry leading partnership with some high-quality organisations and bring security of design delivery to Galliford Try’s customers.