Balfour Beatty, the global infrastructure Group, has been selected as preferred bidder to maintain Suffolk’s highways in a contract worth £200 million over five years, with the possibility of an extension to 10 years. The decision for awarding the contract remains subject to formal legal procedures.
If approved, it will mean that Balfour Beatty Living Places will be responsible for the design and implementation of highway maintenance and improvement works, winter gritting, street lighting, traffic signals and bridge works throughout the county.
The council said the procurement process identified Balfour Beatty as the contractor best placed to meet their needs and deliver high quality service to Suffolk residents and visitors.
In addition, Balfour Beatty will improve the availability of information about work on the highway, achieve savings of £2 million in 2013-14, improve Suffolk’s environmental performance and contribute to the local economy through the use of local companies, commitment to apprenticeships and action to raise skill levels. If approved, approximately 200 Suffolk County Council and Ipswich Borough Council staff will be transferred, under TUPE rules. The new arrangement will come into effect on 1 April 2013.
Ian Tyler, CEO, said: “We are delighted to be chosen preferred bidder by Suffolk County Council for the highways maintenance contract. Once again Balfour Beatty Living Places has shown that it can deliver a high quality service to local authorities at a price that is right for the taxpayer.
“As well as continuing to provide excellent highway services, we will also be concentrating on supporting the local economy through opportunities for local people, especially young people, offering apprenticeships and enhancing skills. We will also be employing local supply chain within the county.”
Analyst/investor enquiries:
Basak Kotler
Balfour Beatty plc
Tel +44 (0) 20 7216 6924
Media enquiries:
Rebecca Salt
Balfour Beatty plc
Tel +44 (0) 20 7216 6865
Notes to editors:
- Balfour Beatty Living Places, created by Balfour Beatty in 2010 to provide more customer focus to our local authority clients, works in partnership to create regeneration strategies, maintain infrastructure and provide local services. We offer an extensive range of services including customer front and back-office, transactional services, facilities management, managed services, highways and street lighting maintenance. We are dedicated to delivering effective, efficient, sustainable and customer focused services which will enhance communities and environments for the public.
- Balfour Beatty is a world-class infrastructure group with capabilities in professional services, construction services, support services and infrastructure investments.
- We work in partnership with our customers principally in the UK, continental Europe, the US, South-East Asia, Australia and the Middle East, who value the highest levels of quality, safety and technical expertise.
- Key infrastructure markets include transportation (roads, rail and airports); social infrastructure (education, specialist healthcare, and various types of accommodation); utilities (water, gas and power transmission and generation) and commercial (offices, leisure and retail).
- The Group delivers services essential to the development, creation and care of these infrastructure assets including project design, financing and management, engineering and construction, and facilities management services.
- Balfour Beatty employs 50,000 people around the world.
