Large Consultancy Advisory Council

The meeting will take place at the WSP Chancery Lane office from 15:30, followed by drinks and canapés from 17:15.

This meeting will consist of a panel session based on the theme of how engineering consultancies can best support water companies in the delivery of the largest AMP 8 and Strategic Resource Options (SROs) programme in the UK water sector.

Water companies in the UK water sector are operating in an increasingly complex environment - balancing regulatory scrutiny, long-term resilience, affordability, delivery confidence and holding public trust, while leading some of the largest and most complex infrastructure programmes in the country. Engineering consultancies are critical partners in this context, but expectations of their role are evolving.

This panel session is an opportunity for engineering consultancies to engage directly with water company, regulator and investor leaders to explore how consultancy support can add the greatest value where it matters most. The focus will be on practical, lived experience, not theory: what clients genuinely need from their consulting partners, what is working well today, and where expectations are changing.

The session will be interactive and informal, designed to encourage open discussion and challenge. It will help consulting engineers better understand the pressures facing water companies today and shape more effective, trusted partnerships for the next phase of the UK water sector.

Speakers for this session are:

- Chris Taylor-Dawson, Senior Director - Major Projects, Ofwat

- Carol Cairns, Chief Asset Officer, Portsmouth Water