December 3, 2019 3.14 pm This story is over 51 months old

County council awards £217m highways contract to Basingstoke firm

It will create new local jobs

Stock image from Balfour Beatty.

Basingstoke-based Balfour Beatty Living Places has secured a six year £217 million highways contract for Lincolnshire County Council.

Balfour Beatty Living Places will work the the council to provide a safe and sustainable local road network through the maintenance of 9,000km of highways, carriageways and footpaths. They will take over in April 2020 from Kier, whose contract will have reached its maximum 10 year length and will finish at the end of March 2020.

The contract for the maintenance of highways assets has an option to extend the contract for a further six years.

The county council estimates that over the next 12 years it will be worth £638 million.

Works are due to start in Spring 2020 and will employ a workforce of 180 people. As part of the contract, it will also deliver an Involved Community Investment Programme. It will include hiring 90% of the workforce from the local area, as well as creating 63 apprenticeships and 24 graduate placements.

The team will also deliver winter maintenance and drainage cleansing services to enhance the condition and reliability of the local roads.

Balfour Beatty Plant & Fleet Services will invest in 54 commercial vehicles, including mobile working platforms and traffic management vehicles to assist works.

Steve Helliwell, Managing Director at Balfour Beatty Living Places, said: “This latest award is testament to our unrelenting focus on delivering a safe, high quality highways maintenance service across the UK.

“With our dedicated teams now spanning from Sunderland to Southampton, we look forward to continuing our commitment to creating great places to work, play and stay, leaving a lasting legacy for the communities in which we operate”.

Karen Cassar, Assistant Director of Highways at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “We’re delighted to have Balfour Beatty Living Places on-board.

“The new contract will see significant investment in improved equipment and new technology at highways depots around the county, which will mean better road repairs going forward.

“We also welcome their willingness to use local suppliers and take on apprentices, meaning there will be wider benefits for our communities. We look forward to working with them.”

Recently completed Balfour Beatty Living Places projects include the £4 million highway network term maintenance contract on behalf of Wokingham Borough Council, and a £400,000 street lighting maintenance term contract for Wokingham Borough Council.