Consents at scale: Scott on the Transpennine Route upgrade

Scott is an Environment and Consents Manager at AtkinsRéalis. He has worked across the Transpennine Route Upgrade Alliance offices in Leeds, Manchester and Huddersfield, managing the environmental, planning and statutory consents behind major rail works delivered under a Transport and Works Act Order.

What does an Environment and Consents Manager do?

“I managed the environmental, planning and statutory consents needed to support the delivery of major rail infrastructure works under a Transport and Works Act Order. That meant working closely with Alliance partners, client teams and contractors to integrate environmental requirements into delivery, and coordinating engagement with regulators, local authorities and key stakeholders to secure approvals and maintain compliance.

A lot of the role was managing environmental risk- understanding the constraints, providing strategic advice to support the programme, and overseeing the environmental assessments, permits, licences and consent applications the works needed.”

What has working on a programme that size given you?

“Working on the Transpennine Route Upgrade gave me exposure to a far broader range of planning, environmental and consenting issues than I’d typically encounter on smaller projects. The scale and complexity accelerated my professional development- I’ve managed a diverse range of environmental challenges, from ecology and heritage through to noise, planning and stakeholder engagement.

It’s given me a well-rounded understanding of the consenting process, and experience of managing environmental requirements on one of the UK’s largest infrastructure projects. No two days are the same; the scale of it constantly throws up new issues to navigate.”

What’s the part people outside the team never see?

“The amount of work that happens behind the scenes long before any construction starts on site. Navigating environmental constraints, stakeholder concerns and complex consenting requirements can take years of planning and coordination.

And even when a project is close to construction, unexpected challenges and last-minute hurdles still come up, so teams have to adapt quickly to keep delivery on track.”

“Even when a project is close to construction, last-minute hurdles still come up.”

 

What will the upgrade mean for the people who use it?

“It serves communities right across the North of England, improving connectivity between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York. The programme will help deliver faster, more reliable and more frequent rail services, making it easier for people to travel for work, education and leisure.”

And outside work?

“I enjoy spending time outdoors and used to do a lot of mountaineering. One of my proudest achievements was completing an unguided ascent of Mont Blanc. These days, though, most of my adventures involve being a parent.”

If you want to work on the UK’s largest infrastructure programmes, we’re recruiting across our environment and consenting teams. Explore our current roles.