Editorial: T5 team off to a flier on Heathrow East project - 17.11.05

contractjournal.com Newsletter - 17.11.05

Editorial: Reward for excellence

BAA has told contractors working on the Terminal 5 contract at Heathrow that they are all but assured work on any future projects as reward for progress on the £4.2bn scheme. Online news editor Tim Wood applauds the stance taken by the airports operator and urges more clients to do the same.

News that the project team behind BAA’s £4.2bn Terminal 5 contract has been all but guaranteed a slice of the action of the proposed £1.5bn Heathrow East terminal building at Heathrow Airport as a reward for progress on the scheme is a victory for commonsense thinking.

Plans for the new Heathrow East building, which will replace Terminal 2 and the Queens Building at the site, have yet to be given final approval before it is added to the airport operator’s capital programme.

And although BAA has said that it was “too soon” to talk about tendering, Tony Douglas, BAA managing director of T5, gave some huge clues as to who would be working on the contract. He was “very keen” to use the same team that was successfully delivering the project at T5.

He continued: “Why split up a team which is doing so well on T5? I want to work with the best. If they are not producing the goods then I won’t want to know."

Why indeed, especially when the project is ahead of schedule with £2.85bn spent so far.

The industry is quick to have a pop when the going gets tough for a contractor, so BAA's attitude is extremely encouraging.

Back in 1998, Sir John Egan said the construction industry is all about building up the right team and working with it.

Sir John will be absolutely delighted that one of the UK's flagship construction projects has listened to that advice.