Latest Heathrow delegation sees Birkenhead company win potential £16bn contract share

Birkenhead engineering company, Cammell Laird says it plans to ramp up its campaign to win a share of the £16bn contract to support the expansion of Heathrow Airport, following a delegation visit inspecting its bid.

The Heathrow delegation came to Cammell Laird as part of a nationwide tour of the ‘longlist’ (see notes to editors) of 65 sites seeking to become a hub for pre-assembly facilities for Heathrow’s third runway.

The tour is visiting each location in the first half of 2018 ahead of opening a pre-qualification questionnaire process later this year, with contract awards expected in 2019.

The two sites proposed by Cammell Laird are Campbeltown Road and the MEA Park Wirral Waters in Beaufort Road.

Cammell Laird’s energy division managing director, Jonathan Brown, said the company was able to bring heavyweight political support to the visit, a key factor in Heathrow’s requirements.

He said: “We believe we have a very strong bid and to have the Metro mayor Steve Rotherham, LEP chairman Asif Hamid and CEO Mark Basnett plus Wirral council’s leader Phil Davies here to present to the delegation underlined just how serious we are.

“Heathrow’s expansion is a nationally significant project and we want to secure a role for our business and for the Liverpool City Region.

“Few other companies can match our history, innovation, highly skilled workforce, supply chain, facilities and coastal location.”

Heathrow has said bidders will not only need to illustrate engineering prowess, they will also need to demonstrate a skilled and dedicated workforce, capability to collaborate on the nationwide project and good connectivity allowing output to be easily transported to Heathrow.

Lord Deighton, chairman at Heathrow Airport, added: “Heathrow expansion is a national infrastructure project that will benefit the whole country, including right across the North West, so it is hugely exciting to have a delegation from Heathrow in the region as part of the latest stage of our nationwide tour of potential Logistics Hubs locations.

“Logistics Hubs are instrumental in our aim to ensure that expansion spreads the huge potential of tens of billions of pounds in economic benefits across the UK and will help to transform the construction industry and build a lasting skills legacy for future generations in various locations across the country and beyond London.

“We are working in partnership with local employers, councils and entrepreneurs to support new opportunities for the region arising from Heathrow expansion through new jobs, economic growth and easier and faster journeys to and from Heathrow and the North West.”

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