Lower Thames Crossing
Client Type
Highways
Services provided
Utility audit services / due diligence strategic audit, strategic support, utility value engineering, utility commercial management
Independent expertise drives stronger utilities delivery on the Lower Thames Crossing project
Our insights created savings of £15 million while strengthening the approach to utility management, helping to safeguard project timelines and minimise potential disruptions on this nationally.
Background
Balfour Beatty Highways (BBH) is delivering the Roads North package of National Highways’ Lower Thames Crossing. To bolster capability on the complex utilities workstream, BBH appointed Assisting Success under an NEC 4 Professional Services contract to provide strategic support across Stage One of the scheme.
The brief
BBH asked us to perform an independent, rapid “deep-dive” into the utilities programme after early signs of schedule slippage, cost escalation and governance gaps. Our remit covered governance, planning, risk, cost control, change management and design integration. The aim was to identify root causes, quantify commercial exposure and set out prioritised actions to de-risk delivery and recover momentum on this critical workstream.
Our remit focused on identifying root causes across programme delivery, stakeholder engagement, risk management, team capability and commercial controls, to recommend practical solutions that would strengthen project governance, mitigate risks and improve delivery outcomes.
Our solution
We initiated a whole-system review to interrogate contract data, concept designs, utilities programme, risk registers and governance routes, and held focused interviews with BBH, BB Utility Solutions, Atkins and National Highways teams to map issues and pinch-points.
The resulting report identified a roadmap of actionable recommendations covering improvement works to governance, rigorous change-control, risk ownership and schedule realignment, all designed for fast adoption.
Recognising the challenges around obtaining the power required, we identified several innovative solutions that could cut upfront CAPEX and generate seven-figure savings for BBH.
We then helped BBH rapidly scale its Utilities Project Team, bringing in specialist planning, commercial and management resource to execute the ‘Clearing the Way’ strategy ahead of main works.
The result
Our intervention gave BBH a clear, costed route-map to regain control of the utilities package, with governance disciplines now embedded, risks transparently managed and a realistic, resource-loaded schedule in place. Crucially, the IDNO and PPA proposals open the door to multi-million-pound capital savings while still meeting stringent sustainability and EV-charging obligations – delivering better value and stronger delivery confidence for the Lower Thames Crossing.
Their insights and detailed reviews directly influenced improvements in risk management, commercial control, and overall project governance. Assisting Success provided invaluable support, accelerating delivery and adding real, measurable value to HS2’s objectives.
