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Our October 2025 Newsletter

The Brookbanks Difference / News / Our October 2025 Newsletter
A serene forest path covered in autumn leaves, surrounded by vibrant fall foliage.

Welcome to our October newsletter. In this issue, we share insights and helpful takeaways from our latest podcast and webinars, celebrate a safety milestone, and highlight key successes for our clients. Our goal is to keep you informed and inspired about the changing landscape of development and infrastructure.

Milestone: Bridgend College’s New Town Centre Campus

We recently attended the topping-out ceremony for Bridgend College, after our civil and structural engineering teams played a key role in delivering this £50 million, 13,000m² South Wales project.

The project comprises two new buildings, including an 8-storey concrete flat slab main structure and a steel-framed theatre building, plus, as the site sits above a back-filled quarry, the team used advanced piling and void-spanning foundations to ensure long-term stability.

What’s more, early collaboration at RIBA Stage 3 enabled us to save our client approximately £750,000, compared to the original consultant’s structural design.

This project also marks a flagship scheme for us in South Wales, as we grow our regional footprint.

Why does this matter for our clients?

This project demonstrates how early engineering involvement can unlock significant cost savings and technical solutions, even on complex sites. It also highlights our growing regional presence and commitment to delivering efficient, value-driven outcomes for clients across the UK.

Read more here: Bridgend College

Meet our Group Director for Structural Engineering - Chris Vivian

Podcast Spotlight: Utility Infrastructure for Strategic Sites

In our latest podcast episode, host Ben Wakeling is joined by Mat Capper (Director of Utilities) and Emily Timmins from MADE to explore how utility infrastructure is rapidly becoming a critical part of strategic-site development.

They emphasise that large-scale sites differ fundamentally from smaller schemes with longer build-out periods, multiple delivery phases, and complex stakeholder landscapes meaning that utility planning must be built in from the start.

Key takeaways:

Multi-utility procurement is evolving with strategic developments often requiring flexible strategies and early utilities-provider engagement, rather than one-off contracts.

The growing shift to electrification and use of NAVs (New Appointment & Variations) means site teams must also consider low-carbon technologies, alternative network operators and integration into future-ready systems, not just “getting power connected”.

District heating networks, ground-source heat pumps and smart micro-grids are no longer niche ideas, they’re becoming tangible options for strategic sites that prioritise sustainability, resilience and long-term operational efficiency.

Why does this matter for our clients?

For clients operating or investing in large-scale, multi-phase developments, utility infrastructure is no longer a background detail, it’s a strategic asset. Early planning, procurement flexibility and a forward-looking mindset around energy systems can distinguish a site’s commercial value and future resilience.

Watch the episode here: https: Utility Infrastructure for Strategic Sites – Brookbanks Podcast Episode #3

Meet our Director of Utilities - Mat Capper

Upcoming Webinar: The Role of Structural Engineering in the Climate Emergency

Wednesday 12th November 2025, 12:30 – 1pm

Join our hosts, Jack Barrow (Project Structural Engineer) and Jacob James (Senior Structural Engineer) to explore how structural engineers are driving climate resilience and decarbonisation.

The session will cover:

  • Industry key commitments and institutional response
  • The professional responsibility structural engineers have in tackling the climate emergency
  • Trade-offs and challenges
  • Real life case study examples

Why does this matter for our clients?

Engineering can’t just meet today’s standards; it must anticipate tomorrow’s. Learn how to future-proof designs and deliver buildings that are safe, sustainable, and ready for a changing climate.

Meet the hosts – Jack Barrow &  Jacob James

Register here

Client Value Elevation

We believe that value elevation means delivering smarter, more sustainable outcomes for our clients. We’re proud that for our clients YTD in 2025, our teams have delivered savings of over:

£80 million & 20,000 hours

We’ve achieved this through proactive design and optimisation, accelerating delivery, cutting waste and improving quality across developments.

Examples of real-life projects include:

  • Drainage redesign – Replacing 10,000 m³ of traditional underground drainage with above-ground SuDS saving the client £3.4 million and a creating new green space.
  • Electrical capacity optimisation – Negotiating improved connection points cut around £2 million from delivery costs and shortened timelines by more than 12 months.
  • Access design refinement – Streamlining a site’s access plans from two roundabouts to simple priority junctions saving £1.5 million and weeks of engineering effort.

Why does this matter for our clients?

Value elevation goes beyond cost-cutting. It’s about challenging assumptions early, optimising designs to avoid over-specification, and finding commercial efficiencies that align with client goals. By thinking creatively and focusing on smarter solutions, our teams can maintain margins for our clients while delivering better outcomes for all.

Read our detailed article: Brookbanks’ Ethos for Value Elevation

Looking Ahead

Earlier this month, our senior leadership team came together for a Leadership Strategy Day in the Malvern Hills, a full day of reflection, collaboration, and forward planning. The session reinforced our belief that stepping back to share ideas and realign priorities is key to growth. Our teams left the day energised, united, and focused on the next stage of our journey: delivering even greater innovation and value for our clients.

That renewed sense of purpose is shaping our next phase of activity. As we look ahead to the close of 2025 and the launch of 2026, we remain focused on strategic planning, collaboration, and sustainability.

We hope you find these updates useful and thought-provoking. We remain committed to sharing knowledge and working alongside our clients as industry dynamics evolve. If you have questions on any of the topics above, or want to discuss a project, please reach out to our teams or Rachel Appleby, our Group Business Director at rachel.appleby@brookbanks.com

Thank you for reading. We look forward to building smarter, safer, and greener futures together!

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