{"id":481534,"date":"2023-08-10T17:25:19","date_gmt":"2023-08-10T16:25:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/?p=481534"},"modified":"2023-08-11T11:18:40","modified_gmt":"2023-08-11T10:18:40","slug":"revealed-costain-tops-national-highways-contractor-spend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/civils\/revealed-costain-tops-national-highways-contractor-spend-10-08-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Revealed: Costain tops National Highways contractor spend"},"content":{"rendered":"

Costain was the largest recipient of National Highways spending in each of the last two financial years, Construction News<\/em> can reveal.<\/p>\n

The contractor and consultant was paid \u00a3522.4m by the government-owned roads body in 2022\/23,\u00a3129.74m more than its nearest rival \u2013 Connect Plus, a consortium including Balfour Beatty \u2013 a Freedom of Information request has shown.<\/p>\n

Costain also topped the agency\u2019s supplier spend in 2021\/22, gaining \u00a3401.69m for its work, just ahead of Kier\u2019s \u00a3401.21m.<\/p>\n

Its work during the periods included a \u00a3138m contract to upgrade the M60 Simister Island interchange in Greater Manchester<\/a>, a \u00a3220m upgrade for the A1 Morpeth to Ellingham<\/a>, and procurement consultancy work<\/a> on the body\u2019s second Road Investment Strategy (RIS2).<\/p>\n

It also landed a \u00a360m contract alongside Mott MacDonald<\/a> as delivery assurance partner on the A303 Stonehenge tunnel project in September 2022. The job was given approval by the government in July this year.<\/p>\n

In October 2022, Costain, along with Kier, Balfour Beatty and Keltbray, was named on the \u00a31.3bn A66 upgrade Northern Trans-Pennine project<\/a>. The firms were due to work together to dual remaining single-carriageway sections of the trunk road, in what National Highways called \u201cone of the most critical road upgrades in the north of England\u201d.<\/p>\n

However, in June this year<\/a> it emerged that Costain had left the project. Neither the contractor nor National Highways would comment on the reasons for the departure, after which saw the other partners remain on board to finish the work.<\/p>\n

The move came around a month after the contractor\u2019s job to upgrade barriers on the M62 was cancelled after a National Highways appraisal<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Of its position in the tables, a Costain spokesperson said: \u201cWe\u2019re proud of our strong and long-standing relationship with National Highways and the many complex projects we\u2019ve delivered together. We\u2019ll continue to bring our expertise and innovative solutions to this critical partnership for the benefit of communities and businesses across the UK.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Position<\/td>\nTop 20 for the period 01 April 2022 to 31 March 2023<\/td>\nTotal paid<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Supplier name<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1<\/td>\nCOSTAIN LTD<\/td>\n\u00a3522,405,911.94<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2<\/td>\nCONNECT PLUS (M25) LTD<\/td>\n\u00a3392,664,525.11<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3<\/td>\nKIER HIGHWAYS LTD<\/td>\n\u00a3299,956,590.75<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4<\/td>\nBALFOUR BEATTY CIVIL ENGINEERING LTD<\/td>\n\u00a3216,622,611.45<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5<\/td>\nAMEY OW LTD<\/td>\n\u00a3147,111,567.06<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
6<\/td>\nRINGWAY INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES LTD<\/td>\n\u00a3113,835,165.92<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
7<\/td>\nSKANSKA CONSTRUCTION UK LTD<\/td>\n\u00a3107,377,694.88<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
8<\/td>\nGALLIFORD TRY INFRASTRUCTURE LTD<\/td>\n\u00a3104,989,225.54<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
9<\/td>\nJACOBS UK LTD<\/td>\n\u00a397,905,609.94<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10<\/td>\nWSP UK LTD<\/td>\n\u00a377,384,377.09<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
11<\/td>\nCOLAS LTD<\/td>\n\u00a375,979,862.81<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
12<\/td>\nTARMAC TRADING LTD<\/td>\n\u00a375,524,552.13<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
13<\/td>\nTELENT TECHNOLOGY SERVICES LTD<\/td>\n\u00a373,828,053.76<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
14<\/td>\nJOHN GRAHAM CONSTRUCTION LTD<\/td>\n\u00a371,705,987.42<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
15<\/td>\nBAM MORGAN SINDALL JOINT VENTURE<\/td>\n\u00a368,928,223.20<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
16<\/td>\nMORGAN SINDALL CONSTRUCTION & INFRASTRUCTURE LTD<\/td>\n\u00a366,835,025.59<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
17<\/td>\nBALFOUR BEATTY VINCI JOINT VENTURE<\/td>\n\u00a363,621,417.48<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
18<\/td>\nCOSTAIN GALLIFORD TRY SM JV<\/td>\n\u00a359,731,345.87<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
19<\/td>\nAMEY HIGHWAYS LTD<\/td>\n\u00a354,328,222.90<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
20<\/td>\nAUTOLINK CONCESSIONAIRES (A19) LTD<\/td>\n\u00a348,463,035.04<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Connect Plus, the second largest supplier in 2022\/23 and third largest in 2021\/22, is a consortium with a PFI contract to maintain and upgrade the M25.<\/p>\n

It is owned by funds Equitix, Dalmore Capital and Grosvenor Capital Management alongside Balfour Beatty, which has a 15 per cent share, and consultancy Egis Projects, which owns 10 per cent.<\/p>\n

Balfour Beatty, Egis and Atkins carry out the consortium\u2019s work on the road.<\/p>\n

Balfour itself was the fifth largest supplier in 2022\/23 and fourth largest in 2021\/22.<\/p>\n

Earlier this year<\/a> National Highways revealed its future plans would focus on smaller road schemes worth less than \u00a325m, along with \u201cproactive\u201d maintenance and improvement works to \u201cmake the most\u201d of its existing network.<\/p>\n

The move was made after the government scrapped its plans for any further rollout of smart motorways, which were previously a large part of its expenditure.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

The organisation, formerly known as Highways England, opened a consultation on its \u00a320bn-\u00a330bn future Integrated Delivery Framework earlier this year, which will replace its five-year Regional Delivery Partnership.<\/p>\n

Malcolm Dare, the body\u2019s head of procurement, told Construction News<\/em> at the time<\/a> that it had started barring poorly performing contractors from carrying out work, and will look to do so in future.<\/p>\n

\u201cBased on performance, either there\u2019s a clear supplier who\u2019s top dog and they get awarded the work, or we run a mini-competition with two or three suppliers and they bid for the work. Where we\u2019ve run mini-competitions, we\u2019ve excluded others who have not performed to the required standard, and that will continue,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Position<\/td>\nTop 20 for the period 01 April 2021 to 31 March 2022<\/td>\nTotal paid<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Supplier name<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1<\/td>\nCOSTAIN LTD<\/td>\n\u00a3401,685,127.59<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2<\/td>\nKIER HIGHWAYS LTD<\/td>\n\u00a3401,421,311.44<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3<\/td>\nCONNECT PLUS (M25) LTD<\/td>\n\u00a3347,737,389.94<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4<\/td>\nBALFOUR BEATTY CIVIL ENGINEERING LTD<\/td>\n\u00a3235,940,065.48<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5<\/td>\nBALFOUR BEATTY VINCI JOINT VENTURE<\/td>\n\u00a3226,955,198.98<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
6<\/td>\nAMEY OW LTD<\/td>\n\u00a3143,752,171.66<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
7<\/td>\nCOSTAIN GALLIFORD TRY SM JV<\/td>\n\u00a3118,862,375.92<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
8<\/td>\nA-ONE + INTEGRATED HIGHWAY SERVICES (CIS)<\/td>\n\u00a3115,805,827.63<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
9<\/td>\nRINGWAY INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES LTD<\/td>\n\u00a3113,607,247.09<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10<\/td>\nBAM MORGAN SINDALL JOINT VENTURE<\/td>\n\u00a3105,349,121.66<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
11<\/td>\nGALLIFORD TRY INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED<\/td>\n\u00a377,901,375.43<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
12<\/td>\nJACOBS UK LTD<\/td>\n\u00a377,744,640.84<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
13<\/td>\nTELENT TECHNOLOGY SERVICES LTD<\/td>\n\u00a364,156,756.45<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
14<\/td>\nTARMAC TRADING LTD<\/td>\n\u00a361,246,063.14<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
15<\/td>\nWSP UK LTD<\/td>\n\u00a356,920,234.48<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
16<\/td>\nSKANSKA CONSTRUCTION UK LTD<\/td>\n\u00a350,469,153.69<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
17<\/td>\nOVE ARUP & PARTNERS<\/td>\n\u00a350,214,473.82<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
18<\/td>\nCOWI A\/S ARCADIS CH2M JV<\/td>\n\u00a349,724,206.12<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
19<\/td>\nCARNELL SUPPORT SERVICES<\/td>\n\u00a348,186,322.34<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
20<\/td>\nCOSTAIN SKANSKA A14 JOINT VENTURE<\/td>\n\u00a347,107,312.64<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Costain was the largest recipient of National Highways spending in each of the last two financial years, Construction News can reveal. The contractor and consultant was paid \u00a3522.4m by the government-owned roads body in 2022\/23,\u00a3129.74m more than its nearest rival \u2013 Connect Plus, a consortium including Balfour Beatty \u2013 a Freedom of Information request has …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43915,"featured_media":484201,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false},"categories":[527,549,532,536],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n