New homes in new ways - tackling the UK's housing emergency

My guest on The Infrastructure Podcast this week is Mark Thurston, Chief Executive of Anglian Water Services and former boss of the HS2 (High Speed Two) Ltd project. It’s certainly an interesting time to be joining the water industry – he has just secured £11bn to spend at Anglian over the next five years and is now preparing for some of the biggest sector reforms since privatisation 30 years ago. Have a listen here or find it wherever you get your podcasts - search “The Infrastructure Podcast” on Spotify, Apple, Google or YouTube. Mark joined Anglian Water in July 2024. Last summer Sir John Cunliffe delivered his tough recommendations for water sector reform and then Ofwat set out its new AMP8 determination seeking a step-change in resilience and the public demanding accountability. Lots to discuss: ✅ Cunliffe’s recommendations for sweeping sector reform. ✅ Unlocking delivery for major new reservoirs needed to meet growing demand. ✅ How to balance water finances - investment needs versus affordability. ✅ Why the water sector needs "mega-project" experience right now. Anglian Water has long been cited as one of the UK’s most innovative water companies. But as the industry faces a massive "reckoning," the challenge is to accelerate investment while maintain the public’s trust in the firm’s ability to deliver Mark first joined me on the podcast back in 2023 in Episode 6 when we discussed his challenges at HS2 - check that out here: https://lnkd.in/eYc4pNRC

I’m joined on The Infrastructure Podcast this week by Squadron Leader David Littlemore CEng FICE, Executive Officer at the Cyber and Specialist Operations Command, Infrastructure – and the only Chartered Civil Engineer in the Royal Air Force (RAF) – to discuss how the UK Armed Services is undergoing a radical shift in developing its professional engineering talent. Have a listen here or find all episodes wherever you get your podcasts - search “The Infrastructure Podcast” on Spotify, Apple, Google or YouTube. David’s career proves that "military" and "professional civilian standards" aren't just compatible, they are a powerful combination. In our discussion he brings a unique perspective on: ✅ Merging military precision with civilian consultancy standards to create future fit engineering talent. ✅ Managing high-stakes infrastructure from the UK to the Middle East. ✅ Why professional recognition (like Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Fellowship) is vital for the next generation. ✅ How the RAF has "upped its game" in professional career support. ✅ Why mentoring the next generation of engineers and technicians is crucial ✅ Whether studying for A levels is not necessarily the only route to an engineering career.

Let’s face it, we’ve been talking about modernising, digitising and decarbonising infrastructure for years. So in the latest episode of The Infrastructure Podcast, I sit down with Mark Coates FCIHT, FCInstCES, VP of Infrastructure Policy Advancement at Bentley Systems , to chew over how the global Transforming Infrastructure Performance (TIP) movement is actually starting to move the dial towards change. Have a listen here or find it wherever you get your podcasts - search “The Infrastructure Podcast” on Spotify, Apple, Google or YouTube. As we heard at the latest TIP summit in Melbourne, the "old way" of delivering projects - siloed data, stagnant productivity, and resource-heavy construction - is broken. Having worked with Mark on TIP summits from London and Singapore to our most recent stop in Melbourne, we’ve seen the same failings across the delivery chain - but also a wealth of positive lessons. For details of past and future TIP summits check out the Infrastructure Policy Advancement website here: https://lnkd.in/gEKmAjry Have a listen as we dive into: · How TIP evolved from a UK policy framework into a global movement. · Why we must shift from "building things" to "outcomes for people and the planet." · The roadmap for the future of infrastructure is being written now - how do you get on board? Listen to episode 154 to hear how industry change really is just around the corner!

I have just got back from the excellent Transforming Infrastructure Performance Summit in Melbourne where I caught up with Jon Phillips , chief executive of the Global Infrastructure Investor Association (GIIA) for a fascinating chat about the current state of the global infrastructure investment market. Have a listen to the latest episode of @the infrastructure Podcast here or find it wherever you get your podcasts — search “The Infrastructure Podcast” on Spotify, Apple, Google or YouTube. GIIA represents institutional investors managing over US$2.2 trillion in assets and as Jon points out, 2025 was a record-breaking fundraising year underlining the continued global hunger for bankable projects. And, as he also points out, the market is underpinned by the "4 Ds" currently reshaping our world – where significant challenges exist: · Digitalisation: But is the AI-driven data boom cooling off? · Decarbonisation: Can the relentless push toward net zero continue? · Deglobalisation: Navigating new geopolitical shifts and the "Trump effect." · Defence: Why national security is now an infrastructure priority. The Transforming Infrastructure Performance (TIP) Summit was hosted by Bentley Systems and the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) in Melbourne and explored the huge opportunities and challenges in the Australian infrastructure market. Check it out at https://lnkd.in/gEKmAjry

This week's 151st episode of The Infrastructure Podcast was recorded live in Toronto with the brilliant Peter Weltman, chairman of the Canadian Infrastructure Council and explores what can be learned from Canada’s radical approach to kickstarting its much-needed housing sector. The episode was record at last year’s Transforming Infrastructure Performance Summit Toronto, hosted by Bentley Systems and the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). The TIP Live summit travels next week to Melbourne as we continue to share global ideas about how to boost the effectiveness of our infrastructure delivery Have a listen here or find all 151 episodes wherever you get your podcasts - search “The Infrastructure Podcast” on Spotify, Apple, Google or YouTube (and there’s a video version available too this week). CIC has just produced a report outlining the future challenges and needs around so-called housing-enable infrastructure - definitely valuable global learning and worth a read. Peter brings some fascinating insights and learning around how Canada is aligning its investment in housing with investment in transport, energy and communication - bringing together public and private cash - to accelerate to delivery for real communities. Because the global infrastructure needs to learn – and share - as many infrastructure delivery lessons as possible. As population growth accelerates, climate shocks intensify and affordability pressures mount, the key question is still whether we can deliver and maintain infrastructure fast enough and efficiently enough to support our society needs. And that’s what TIP is all about – learning and sharing knowledge. Right. I’m off to Melbourne – see you there!

This week I am celebrating the 150th episode of The Infrastructure Podcast (yes doesn’t time fly!!) by chatting to Mark Reynolds CBE, executive chair of global construction giant Mace and co-chair of the Construction Leadership Council about the skills challenge – still one of the biggest constraints on the UK’s £725bn+ infrastructure ambition. Have a listen here or find all 149 episodes wherever you get your podcasts - search “The Infrastructure Podcast” on Spotify, Apple, Google or YouTube. Alongside his ongoing work to restructure the Mace business (interesting changes going on there for sure) Mark now also chairs the new Construction Skills Mission Board. This bring together senior industry leaders, educators, training bodies, government ministers and unions to ensure the sector can recruit, train and retain and extra 100,000 workers a year - creating the workforce it needs to meet the demands of the decade ahead. So big ambition. Big investment. Now the big question: can we create the jobs to meet the training and build the workforce to match that ambition? Mark says yes, we can.

Eighteen months into his new job as Member of Parliament for Northampton South, Mike Reader , my guest on this week’s episode of The Infrastructure Podcast , has pretty much completed the transition from Mace work winning director to fully fledged politician. And that makes him hugely qualified to provide us with a progress report on the government’s much discussed ambition to back infrastructure investment as the key to driving economic growth and raising living standards across the UK. Have a listen here or find all 149 episodes wherever you get your podcasts - search “The Infrastructure Podcast” on Spotify, Apple, Google or YouTube. Mike’s straight-talking update from the heart of Parliament unpacks what’s actually moving and what’s stuck and discusses whether, for all the policy talk, the UK is finally turning its infrastructure ambition into real-world delivery. Enjoy!

There are some infrastructure projects that leave you literally gasping and grappling with the scale of ambition and complexity. The UK’s Geological Disposal Facility is one such project – and one we explore on The Infrastructure Podcast this week. My guests are Neil Hyatt, chief scientific advisor and Malcolm Orford, Head of Major Permissions at Nuclear Waste Services. They explain the hugely ambitious plan to build a vast underground vault system designed to protect future generations for literally tens of thousands of years into the future. Have a listen here or find all 145 episodes wherever you get your podcasts - search “The Infrastructure Podcast” on Spotify, Apple, Google or YouTube. We dive into one of the toughest long-term challenges of safely managing and disposing of the UK’s nuclear waste. Because for 70+ years, nuclear has powered our homes, advanced medicine and strengthened national security. Some of its most hazardous wastes will remain radioactive for thousands of years and so surface storage isn’t the permanent answer. A new underground facility, most likely in Cumbria, is the preferred option.

My guest on this week’s episode of the The Infrastructure Podcast is Matthew Cannon, chief executive of The Clancy Group - and a former international pro rugby player - as we tackle the tricky issues of building and retaining high performance teams in infrastructure. Have a listen here - or find all 147 episodes wherever you get your podcasts - search “The Infrastructure Podcast” on Spotify, Apple, Google or YouTube. Alongside Matt’s hugely insightful take on the current challenge facing the UK contracting market, I found it really insightful to chat to a former high performing sportsman (Matt played at London Irish and London Welsh and was a member of England’s successful 2003 Hong Kong Rugby 7s squad) about the way his sports team experiences crossed over into the world of work. While I have never personally been involved in high performance of elite sports, I have witnessed close up the absolute power of sports teams working together to, literally “make the boat go faster”. And given that we talk so much about collaboration and leadership as being key to successful infrastructure project delivery, there is surely much to learn from those experiences.