The Infrastructure Podcast
A new regular podcast series which features conversations with some of the key leaders and influencers from across UK infrastructure sector.
Anglian's @One Alliance @21 with Richard Lee
In this episode we look in detail at the how the water sector is continuing to evolve and extract more and more value – and public benefit from every customer’s bill.
My guest today is Richard Lee, Anglian Water’s @One Alliance Director of Engineering.
And he’s a great person to talk to because when it was launched 21 years ago, the @One Alliance was considered something of a radical procurement gamble by Anglian Water as the vast water company sought to do things differently across its huge regional network of pipes, tanks, pumps and...
Rethinking the built environment with Richard Bonner
In this episode we focus on how the infrastructure sector can start to break down the ingrained engineering, architecture, planning and investment siloes preventing us from truly delivering the sustainable investment needed for communities to drive social and economic growth across the UK.
My guest is Richard Bonner, Managing Director for the AtkinsRéalis Buildings and Places business,
Richard runs this new dedicated division, which was set up just over a year ago and in many ways signalled a fundamental shift in the way large-scale consultancy can address the modern urban landscape.
H...
NISTA’s progress unpacked with David Lunn
This live episode of the Infrastructure Podcast was recorded at the recent Twin Talks breakfast event hosted in London by the Infrastructure Policy Advancement team at Bentley Systems.
My guest is David Lunn, NISTA’s new director for market engagement and in the wide-ranging discussion we explore the progress being made by NISTA, the UK National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority, as it works with the supply chain to modernise how major projects are planned designed and executed.
For too long, the UK's infrastructure sector has suffered from chronic inefficiencies, fragmented planning, and leng...
Building Canada's next decade with Clémentine Sallée
This episode was recorded live at the recent Toronto Transforming Infrastructure Performance Summit and we discuss the challenges around Building Canada's Next Decade - and specifically seeing what lessons can be learnt from the Major project successes seen recently over the provincial border in Québec.
Québec is home to some of Canada's most ambitious infrastructure projects, from transformative transit expansions and airport development to investments that are reshaping the movement of people, goods, and economic opportunity.
These projects are not only changing how communities connect and grow, they are also providing valuable lessons in...
Unlocking human potential with Adam Crossley
In this episode we talk about how to unlock the human potential found – or indeed, waiting to be found – in the businesses across the UK infrastructure supply chain.
As we read and hear virtually every day, the sector faces huge challenges as it races to deliver the government's multi-billion pound investment pipeline to upgrade, expand and modernise the nation’s infrastructure and drive towards energy transition and a net zero future.
Achieving these economic growth targets requires investment in more than just heavy machinery and concrete. It demands a profound change in the way the industr...
Scaling Manchesterism with Alistair Godbold
In this episode we drill into the project delivery challenges facing the sector as it adapts to the new Burnham administration’s drive for devolved power and greater regional investment.
And the government’s 10 year infrastructure strategy and massive £718bn pipeline means the spotlight has turned firmly from project planning to project delivery.
But it is also true that successive central governments have historically struggled with major project execution, often hindered by bureaucracy, shifting political priorities, and fragmented decision-making.
So is now the moment for a project delivery transformation?
Well we certain...
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 M...
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...
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 gue...
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 wa...
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 o...
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 C...
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, w...
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 annou...
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 NI...
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 h...
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 podca...
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 Geor...
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 f...
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 t...
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 opport...
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 bud...
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...
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 fo...
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...
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 wa...
New York's Penn Station with Andy Byford
This is a special episode recorded live in front of delegates at the recent Transforming Infrastructure Performance Summit in New York – the latest in this series of global events supported by software giant Bentley Systems and the UK Government.
My guest is Andy Byford, Special Advisor at Amtrak, former London Transport Commissioner, and the man in charge of the massive multi-billion dollar transformation of New York’s vast Penn Station, the busiest rail hub in the Western Hemisphere.
The Station sits on Seventh Avenue in the heart of Manhattan alongside the Maddison Square Garde...
Infrastructure resilience with Sue Percy
In this episode we talk about infrastructure resilience: the challenge of designing and building infrastructure in an age of deep uncertainty, where a changing climate, a growing population, and a shrinking public purse have rendered traditional asset management models all but obsolete.
To discuss this vital issue, my guest is Sue Percy, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation and our focus will be on the resilience of the UK’s transport networks.
Sue is well placed to tackle the subject given that she fronted the CIHT’s annual conference last...
Women in Property with Sam McCabe
In this episode we take a close look at the work of the Women in Property network and preview a special breakfast discussion that they have planned on 19th May at UKREiiF, the UK Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum being held in Leeds on 19th to 21st May.
Joining me is Sam McCabe, the newly installed national chair of Women in Property who in her day job, is Passive House Lead for the UK and Sustainable Buildings Lead for Scotland at consultant WSP.
There is much to discuss at the...
Nuclear powered sustainable aviation with Caroline Longman and Hannah Vickers
This this week's episode we discuss the decarbonisation of global aviation - and specifically a new project that aims to leverage the growth in nuclear technology to accelerate us towards a new world of affordable e-SAF - sustainable aviation fuels
Because for all the pressures of driving towards a net zero emissions future, the world's hunger for air travel continues to grow. Which leaves the environmental cost of traditional kerosene as no longer sustainable.
And to be honest, given the impact of war in Iran, the pressure to accelerate towards new types of fuel is...
Systems Stewardship: managing evolving risk with Donna Lopata
In this episode we tackle the evolving challenges of managing infrastructure investment risk in a rapidly changing world.
As systemic threats like climate change, population growth and social inequality intensify, infrastructure funding models centred on individual assets, on clearly defined risks, and on relatively predictable climate conditions are reaching their limit.
In short, if we are to continue to attract private sector cash to underpin investment in our vital public assets, we need new thinking.
My guest today is doing that thinking and helping to take the necessary action.
Donna Lo...
Water for public benefit with Mark Thurston
In this episode we are talking about water sector reform with Mark Thurston, chief executive of Anglian Water, arguably one of the most progressive and innovative water companies in the UK.
Not without its problems and critics of course, but Anglian is certainly one water company that has really taken on the challenge to work with its supply chain to boost infrastructure productivity and cut out carbon.
Mark joined Anglian in July 2024 having previously spent nearly seven years at the helm of the challenging and controversial HS2 project – the subject of our last con...
RAF’s professional engineering flight plan with Squadron Leader David Littlemore
In this episode of the podcast we are explore the way the UK Armed Services has been radically upping its game in terms of the support, promotion and development of professional engineering careers.
To do this, I'm joined today by Squadron Leader David Littlemore from the Royal Air Force, currently executive officer infrastructure at Cyber and Specialist Operations Command.
David is also fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, in fact, the only chartered civil engineer in the RAF, and I'd say that he is also a passionate advocate for merging the best of military an...
Transforming Infrastructure Performance with Mark Coates
In this episode we dive into the infrastructure sector’s journey towards digitisation, decarbonisation and modernisation – a journey which to be honest, seems like one that we have been on for some time.
To do this, my guest is Mark Coates, Vice President of Infrastructure Policy Advancement at software giant Bentley Systems and the guiding mind behind TIP, the Transforming Infrastructure Performance global Summit initiative, the latest iteration of which was held last month in Melbourne.
Full disclosure – from the earliest days TIP back in 2022, I have been working with Mark to deliver the su...
Global investment ambition with Jon Phillips
In this week's episode we take a deep dive into the global infrastructure investment market as I chat to Jon Phillips, chief executive of GIIA, the Global Infrastructure Investors Association.
The Association represents the world's foremost institutional investors who together manage over US$2.2 trillion in infrastructure assets across 68 countries. And as we stand in 2026, the landscape for private capital has never been more complex.
The podcast is being recorded during the latest Transforming Infrastructure Performance Summit hosted by software giant Bentley Systems and the Institution of Civil Engineers in Melbourne so gives us an opportunity t...
Hospital 2.0 Alliance with Emma Whigham and Rick Lennard
In this week's episode we return to the New Hospital Programme - still one of the most ambitious public infrastructure programmes the UK has seen in decades.
The last time I was in NHP’s Waterloo office in London was for episode 143 just before Christmas. Then I spoke to Emily King and Doug Baldock about the scale and urgency of the challenge to replace ageing and unsafe hospital infrastructure, and the shift towards industrialised construction through the £37bn Hospital 2.0 programme.
Today, we’re going deeper into the “how”.
Because £37 billion of ambition only becomes real...
Canada's housing-enabling infrastructure with Peter Weltman
This week's special 151st episode was recorded in front of a live audience at last year’s brilliant Transforming Infrastructure Performance Summit hosted by Bentley Systems and the Institution of Civil Engineers in Toronto Canada.
In fact, right about the time this episode is published I will be in Melbourne helping the team to deliver the next event in this TIP series – so look out for podcast flowing out of that!
Back to this episode and my guest is Peter Weltman, Vice Chair of the Canada Infrastructure Council, Director at consultant Technomics and until 2023, Fina...
A mission for skills with Mark Reynolds
This week's podcast celebrates the 150th episode by delving into one of the most urgent and complex issues that continues to challenge the UK construction sector – namely the critical shortage of skilled workers.
As we know, government plans to invest public and private funds worth over £725 billion in infrastructure over the next decade or so. That will decarbonise and secure our energy systems, reboot the nation’s transport networks, protect the environment, build 1.5 million new homes and retrofit some five million more.
The scale of ambition is enormous. But none of it can happen without the p...
Parliamentary progress update with Mike Reader MP
In this week's episode we are seeking a new year parliamentary progress update to discover how 18 months of government infrastructure ambition is actually being turned into real economic and social growth potential.
To help me with this I am joined once again by Mike Reader, MP for Northampton South, the newly re-elected chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Infrastructure and Construction.
And, of course, as we heard in his first visit to the Infrastructure Podcast a year ago, before he was elected to parliament in July 2024, Mike was a director at construction gi...
UK's nuclear Geological Disposal Facility with Neil Hyatt and Malcolm Orford
In this week's podcast we’re talking about the tricky challenge of safely managing and disposing of the UK’s expanding stock of nuclear waste. Creating a Geological Disposal Facility.
For more than 70 years, the UK has benefited from nuclear technology - generating low-carbon electricity, advancing medicine, supporting industry, and contributing to national defence.
Alongside those benefits comes responsibility.
Because the most hazardous radioactive wastes produced over those decades will remain radioactive for many thousands of years.
And while they are currently stored safely at a number of surface facilities across the co...
