Highfield Professional Solutions Ltd

£181.25 million. That's Nottinghamshire's highways budget for this year alone - the largest ever recorded by a single local authority in the country. Nottinghamshire County Council's 2026/27 Highway Capital Maintenance Programme is now well underway, with resurfacing, patch repairs and surface dressing work running across the county throughout the summer. > £181.25m committed for 2026/27 — a record for the council, and believed to be the highest annual highways spend by any local authority in the UK > Over 50 roads scheduled for resurfacing or patch repairs in July alone, including the A57 at East Markham, the Worksop Bypass and routes through Mansfield, Ashfield and West Bridgford > More than 70 roads set for surface dressing this summer, covering key routes like the A57, A60, A606, A614, A617, A38, A612 and A610 > Work delivered in partnership with highways contractor Via East Midlands, supported by JCB Pothole Pro machines targeting localised defects across Rushcliffe, Newark and Sherwood, Mansfield and Ashfield, and Gedling Programmes at this scale rely on the people delivering them: the engineers, resurfacing crews and maintenance teams turning a funding announcement into roads that actually get fixed.

A £35bn plan just landed for 14 new nuclear reactors on British soil. This week, Polish-led consortium SGE confirmed one of the largest privately funded nuclear investments in UK history - a fleet of small modular reactors across three UK sites. Laing O'Rourke has now joined the bid, bringing UK construction expertise to a project that could reshape how we build nuclear infrastructure here. Why it matters: SMRs are designed to be cheaper and faster to build than traditional nuclear plants, and this fleet alone could rival the output of Hinkley Point C. > £35bn private investment, submitted under the UK's Advanced Nuclear Framework > 14 small modular reactors (GE Vernova Hitachi BWRX-300 design) across three UK sites > 4.2GW combined capacity — enough to power around 8 million homes > Consortium includes Laing O'Rourke, Samsung C&T, Aecon Group and GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy > Targeting first power generation by 2034

Cottam spent decades keeping the country's lights on with coal. Plans have now been submitted to put the same site at the centre of Britain's nuclear future. Holtec International and EDF have jointly submitted a proposal to the UK Government to deploy up to four SMR-300 reactors at the former Cottam power station in Nottinghamshire. The submission sits under the UK's Advanced Nuclear Framework, which is designed to accelerate advanced nuclear deployment and open the sector to greater private investment. > Up to four Holtec SMR-300 reactors proposed for the Cottam site > Combined output of approximately 1.3 GW of clean, reliable generating capacity — one of the largest SMR proposals in Europe > The site's existing grid connections and industrial infrastructure will be repurposed rather than built from scratch > Holtec's SMR-300 has already completed the UK Generic Design Assessment, confirming its safety, security and environmental adequacy > Holtec and EDF have signed Heads of Terms to form a joint venture to advance the project > Holtec is also evaluating a UK manufacturing facility to produce nuclear equipment domestically For Nottinghamshire, this is about more than energy. It's about what comes next for a region with a deep industrial heritage and a workforce that already understands the demands of large-scale, safety-critical operations. Projects like Cottam are where the pipeline becomes tangible... and where careers in the sector take shape.

A new socio-economic and environmental impact report from EDF sets out what Hinkley Point C has meant for people and communities - not just for the grid. > 14,000 people are currently working on site, running a 24-hour operation > 19,500 people have gained skills through the project's three local training centres > 1,740 apprentices have trained at the site — almost 70% from the South West, with 21% women, across 70 different apprenticeship types > £20 million in community grants has been awarded to 385 local projects, reaching over 600,000 people When complete, the two reactors will meet around 10% of the UK's current electricity demand and are expected to operate for up to 80 years Numbers like these are easy to scroll past. But behind them are thousands of people who've started careers, changed direction, or built something they'll point to for the rest of their working lives. For us, that's what infrastructure investment is really about. The megawatts matter... but so do the apprentices, the local firms, and the communities that are part of making it happen.

Fusion energy just moved from 'coming soon' to 'happening now' in the UK. TAE Technologies and the UK Atomic Energy Authority have announced a formal partnership to develop and deploy advanced fusion energy technology in the UK. This isn't theoretical anymore, it's a practical collaboration between one of the world's leading private fusion companies and the authority leading Britain's atomic research. Here's what matters for the sector: > International validation: A US-based fusion leader choosing to partner with UKAEA signals confidence in Britain's nuclear infrastructure and expertise > Real deployment timeline: The partnership focuses on practical deployment, not distant R&D promises > Talent and investment: These collaborations bring skilled people and capital into the UK critical infrastructure space > Energy independence: Fusion capacity strengthens the UK's energy resilience and creates new career paths in advanced engineering This shows real momentum in a sector; it means real jobs and real projects are on the horizon for engineers, project managers, and specialists across the supply chain.

The NorthFold growth corridor proposal is being presented this week at UKREiiF, and it's worth paying attention to. A £1bn investment programme designed to deliver: > Significant road and bridge improvements across Bolton > Thousands of jobs in construction, engineering, and infrastructure management > New homes and communities built around improved connectivity > A model for how private investment and public infrastructure can work together Why it matters: This is national-scale infrastructure thinking - the kind that creates sustained work for contractors across highways and civils. For those of us in highways, water, and energy infrastructure, growth corridors like NorthFold show there's serious momentum behind UK investment. That translates to real opportunity for skilled professionals and organisations ready to support these projects.

Last week, the UK Government confirmed a huge £1.5bn investment package for South West roads as part of its third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3)—a multi-year commitment to upgrading England's motorways and major A-roads. What this means: 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲: £1.5bn of targeted infrastructure spending - not patches, but systematic upgrade of critical routes 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗽𝗲: Motorways and major A-roads across the South West, including work to tackle potholes, repair bridges, and maintain essential highway infrastructure 𝗗𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: This is part of a multi-year strategy, not a one-off injection. It signals sustained commitment to road maintenance and improvement. 𝗝𝗼𝗯𝘀: Road maintenance, resurfacing, bridge work, and commissioning - this is direct employment for skilled contractors and engineers across the region.

Fusion energy is the future... and the future is now here Type One Energy, Tokamak Energy, and AECOM have announced a new consortium – UK Infinity – to design and build the UK's first commercially viable nuclear fusion plant. The announcement puts Britain at the centre of a global race to make fusion energy a reality. It's long been the "future of power". What matters now is that money and engineering talent are combining to bringing this future closer. The consortium brings together US fusion expertise, UK fusion innovation, and global construction engineering capability. What this means: - The project will create skilled work across design, engineering, construction, and operations - It signals investor confidence in UK nuclear infrastructure and supply chain capability - Fusion is decades away from widespread deployment, but this consortium is building the pathway - It strengthens the case for continued UK investment in advanced nuclear technology This isn't an announcement about a power station opening next year. BUT it is an announcement that people, investors, and engineers believe enough in UK nuclear potential to commit serious resources to building it.

GENERATE, a partnership of regional business and political leaders, is proposing a Nuclear Centre of Excellence in Suffolk. It'll serve as the nation's hub for outage coordination, innovation, skills, and export development, centred around three operational reactors at Sizewell B and C. The East of England's nuclear projects will generate 4.4GW of low-carbon baseload electricity (enough to power 8.5 million UK homes). Every 18 months, Sizewell B undergoes refuelling. Every six months, one reactor is in outage. And every outage brings up to 1,000 additional staff and specialist contractors to the region, alongside almost 1,000 permanent employees on site. What this means: > A dedicated Centre of Excellence that coordinates major maintenance across the UK's nuclear fleet > Sustained employment: not just during construction, but through 60+ years of operation > New training pathways and long-term career opportunities being built into the region now > Skills development that serves both existing reactors and future projects like Sizewell C > A model where economic benefits from major infrastructure don't end when construction does Source: UK Property Forums — East of England plans to lead UK on nuclear energy

National Highways has announced that it's investing £13m across the South West this year to make roads safer. Safety improvements aren't always flashy. They're about removing blind spots, fixing drainage that catches vehicles off-guard in heavy rain, and giving drivers the time and space to make the right decision when they're turning. Here's what we can expect from this recent investment: > £13m targeted at safety schemes across National Highways' major roads, with the A36 in Wiltshire and A30 near Exeter starting now > A36 Codford improvements include a new dedicated left turn lane for eastbound vehicles, upgraded drainage, improved pedestrian crossing points, and vegetation clearance to enhance sightlines > Seven-week programme starting 20 April with four-way traffic lights and planned closures to manage the work safely > Broader investment — this is part of a wider commitment to surface condition, signage, and road markings across the region