Construction industry gossip: Summing up

Summing up

As routes into construction go, an English degree is not an obvious one, but Osborne’s former finance chief Pete Duff gave up words for numbers a long time ago. How come? “I wanted to be a businessman,” he says.

Finance director roles, or versions of, at Network Rail, Balfour Beatty, Laing O’Rourke and then Osborne rather prove his point.

Congestion charge

The Silvertown Tunnel in east London opened last week. It was built by a team including Bam and Ferrovial to reduce congestion that currently builds up on the approach to the Blackwall Tunnel. Great news for those that live south of the river. Less great news is that the Blackwall Tunnel is now charging drivers for the privilege of sitting in stationary traffic. At least we could console ourselves that it was free before. 

The contraption is by all accounts a diligent worker, putting in an 8am to 8pm shift every day installing bolts, although I suspect it has bigger ambitions

Bots and bolts

Are robots really taking over the world? My hack’s worst fears were confirmed last month on a trip to Skanska’s 105 Victoria Street site in London, where wide-eyed he watched one of the power-hungry machines working in the scheme’s lift shaft.

The contraption, called Emma, is by all accounts a diligent worker, putting in an 8am to 8pm shift every day installing bolts, although I suspect it has bigger ambitions. I’m assured it has no intentions to overthrow its human subordinates, although I’m told that site workers had laughed a little too nervously as they pointed out the robot’s emergency stop switch …

Plenty in the tank

Fit-out firm BW is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year with a record turnover of close to £250m in 2024. It says income will top £300m this year and £500m by 2030 is not out of the question.

It’s all a long way from the early days, when its office was above a petrol station in Tolworth on the edge of Surbiton in Surrey. The petrol station is long gone, having been turned into Lidl’s UK headquarters. Still, for BW, a case of from small acorns and all that.

All dressed up

Well done to diamond drilling specialists D-Drill who have stepped in to sponsor a Northampton youth football club’s away kit. Bilton Ajax Under-14s Whites, who play in the Northampton and District Youth Alliance League, were having to play their away games in bibs. “Not ideal,” says head coach Duncan Manley with some understatement.

D-Drill is run by Build UK chair Julie White, who says: “It’s a fantastic community club which is giving lots of local youngsters a great footballing experience.” As they say in football, absolute diamonds.

See you later alligator

Like most Aussies, Bam’s executive director Kim Sides seems non-plussed by the Poms’ fascination with Australia’s deadly creatures. “We’re used to it and we just get on with it,” is the gist of what she told my hack as she reeled off a list of encounters with snakes, spiders and crocodiles.

Still, I can’t help but wonder whether prospective Olympic rowers at the 2032 games, due to be held in Brisbane, are thinking the same thing. Their events could be held in saltwater crocodile habitat, Rockhampton’s Fitzroy River.

It’s not definite, but speaking on local radio, Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese, when asked about the plan, said: “I’m not sure [about] having rowing there, although I’ve got to say, people might break world records. They’d want to go pretty quickly wouldn’t they?” Quite.