www.nce.co.uk1 01.07.10 NEWCIVILENGINEER3
CONTENTS 01.07.10
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www.nce.CO.uk New Civil Engineerlst Floor,GreaterLondonHouse HampsteadRoad,LondonNWl 7EJ EDITORIALENQUIRIES Tel:(020)77284544 (fax4666) Email: prefixplus@emap.com EDITOR1Antony Oliver (020)77284541 antony.oliver DEPUTYEDITOR1JackieWhitelaw (020)77284542 jackie.whitelaw MANAGINGEDITOR1MarkHansford (020)77284543 mark.hansford NEWSEDITOR1AlexandraWynne (020)77284540 alexandra.wynne SENIORREPORTER1EdOwen (020)77284545 ed.owen
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05
NEWS
Scott Wilson sells
us giants URS and CH2M Hill locked in battle for consultant
16
GEOTECHNICS ln the land of giants
The new Airbus has necessitated a vast bund at Gatwick airport
20
OLYMPIC PARK Frombrown to green An extraordinary new park is springing up at the Olympic site
Alsoin thisissue
07 News 14 Letters
Wembley Stadium f253M Structures, transport,
dispute settled energy
08 News
NCE's More for Less round table discussion
10 News
V~nice Barrier reaches mile stone
34 ICENews
Interviewwith the ICE President
37 South East Focus
How South East England is changing
Comment
AntonyOliver
"The Irick will be 10 convert Ihis negative feeling inlo Ihe vital positive adion we need"
Difficultchangeis coming - and it.s a good thing for us
Should civil engineering professionals fee!
uncomfortable about the forthcoming Infra- structure UK investigation into the cost of infrastructure? rd sayyes, we should be.
Because while the Treasury very clearly points out that its work will look beyond the fees charged by consultants and contractors, there is no question that substantial changes to the status quo will have to be the result.
Of course, the good thing about the Pro- posed investigation is that we will have the opportunity to really drill into the farts and strip away the anecdotes about what makes UK infrastructure cost what it currently costs. We will sec like for like comparisons between regions, sectors and with the Test of Europe. Hopefully we will then leam.
We must get our heads around the ide a that this process will be about rocking the boat. We will have to feel uncomfortable. We will have to accept that change is coming.
While there was real cause for celebration
last week following the coalition govem- ment's decision Dot to cut further into capital spending, October's comprehensive spending review will certainly Dot be so generous.
With every govemment department faced with finding savings of at least 25%,the spot- light will inevitably fall on the activities of civil engineers across the country and across public spending sectors.
The coming weeks will therefore be very important for the civil engineering profes- sion if we are to ensure that when the axe inevitably falls, it lands in the right place.
Faced with this reality, feeling uncomfort- able is what we probably aIl need to convince us to engage with the UK's economic woes.
The trick will be to rapidly couvert this negative feeling into the vital positive action needed to do something about it.
We are aIl, of course, agreed that the in- vestment in decent modem infrastructure is vital to the UK's economic recovery. Yet as we
heard clearly at NCEs More for Less round table discussion this week, the key question will continue to be around identifying the priorities. Faced with a declining pot of pub- lic money, the UK will Dot be able to invest in everything we currently think of as vital.
As an industry, we must ensure that we are at the table advising the Treasury over what and where investment is critical.
But, as our panellists clearly pointed out, it is impossible to ignore the issue of efficiency.
While there are huge amounts that govem- ment caTIdo to pump prime vital private sector investment, to streamline planning and to reform regulation, we cannot ignore the fundamental fart of affordability.
And that factor is very clearly in our do- main. It is something that we really have to address positive!y and quickly so as to give credibility to the Test of our advice. And if it makes us feel uncomfortable then so be it.
