Scottish Water wins Most Considerate Constructor 2007

Scottish Water won the coveted Most Considerate Site Award at the Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) National Awards yesterday (Thursday 29 March).

Scottish Water won for the Blair Atholl project for Network Rail in Scotland.

The citation from David Hardy, CCS chief executive, read: "Although the topic of customer focus is widely cited as a key concern within the construction industry, this project is the personification. Residents of the village of Blair Atholl in Perthshire had had access to a private water supply for over a century. This project brought the end of this free supply and involved the connection of all properties in the village to the Scottish Water distribution main.

"There was inevitably some local resistance to the project. The project site management demonstrated a passion for communication with local businesses and householders. Indeed, despite the reservations of several residents, the project team undertook exceptional measures to accommodate personal requests regarding entry to properties and ensured that customer care was a key constituent of project success.

"Rather than an intrusion, the project workforce, operating on multiple temporary sites, were, overwhelmingly, welcomed by the local community. This approach was bolstered by rigorous safety and environmental project management procedures that demonstrate an exceptional level of company and project responsibility and accountability.

"The client, Network Rail, said: "The main driver in the success of this project was the implementing and maintaining a robust communication strategy between stakeholders and the local community."