Key Points
- VolkerFitzpatrick and VolkerStevin, two VolkerWessels UK businesses, have been appointed to one of two contracts under Anglian Water’s Major Projects Framework.
- The framework can support up to £1.5bn of investment in major water and environmental infrastructure across the East of England.
- The framework forms part of Anglian Water’s wider £11bn AMP8 investment programme.
- Construction Digital reported on 14 September 2026 that the framework is intended to accelerate the delivery of essential water and environmental infrastructure.
- Candiece Cyrus of Construction Digital reported that initial schemes include a coastal water improvement programme worth more than £400m.
- Anglian Water said its coastal programme will focus on reducing storm spills and improving water quality along the East of England coastline.
- Ferrovial Construction and MWH Treatment have formed the other delivery partnership under the framework.
- VolkerFitzpatrick and VolkerStevin will combine civil engineering, infrastructure delivery, MEICA and environmental resilience capabilities.
- Anglian Water said the new framework will provide additional specialist delivery capacity for major projects during AMP8 and beyond.
- Anglian Water invested £1.1bn during the first year of AMP8 and delivered more than 1,100 capital projects, according to the utility.
- The first year also included the installation of more than 316,000 smart meters and approximately 140.5km of new water mains.
- Anglian Water’s second-year programme is expected to represent its largest annual investment, at £1.6bn.
- The wider programme is intended to support population growth, economic development, environmental resilience and future infrastructure needs across the region.
- The framework provides for Early Contractor Involvement, bringing delivery partners into projects at an earlier stage of development.
- VolkerWessels UK employs more than 3,500 people and has turnover exceeding £1.3bn, according to Construction Digital.
- VolkerFitzpatrick has a history stretching back more than 100 years, while VolkerFitzpatrick and VolkerStevin have previously collaborated on major UK infrastructure projects.
VolkerFitzpatrick and VolkerStevin are set to play a significant role in the next phase of Anglian Water’s infrastructure investment after securing one of two positions on the utility’s new Major Projects Framework, giving the VolkerWessels UK businesses access to a programme capable of supporting up to £1.5bn of investment across major water and environmental schemes in the East of England. Construction Digital reported on 14 September 2026 that the framework sits within Anglian Water’s wider £11bn AMP8 investment programme, which is designed to improve water quality, strengthen environmental resilience and support sustainable growth.
What is the Anglian Water Major Projects Framework?
According to Candiece Cyrus of Construction Digital, Anglian Water’s Major Projects Framework has been established to provide a pool of delivery partners capable of supporting major infrastructure investment over an extended period.
Construction Digital reported that VolkerFitzpatrick and VolkerStevin were appointed to one of two contracts under the framework. The other position has been awarded to a partnership between Ferrovial Construction and MWH Treatment.
Anglian Water said the framework is worth up to £1.5bn and has been created to provide additional delivery capacity alongside its existing alliances. The utility said the arrangement will help it deliver major projects during AMP8 and beyond while bringing specialist capability into its infrastructure programme.
Industry publication WaterBriefing similarly reported that the framework was established with two delivery partnerships and would support complex civil engineering, process, mechanical and electrical work. The publication said the framework would allow delivery teams to collaborate from an early stage of project development.
Why is the £1.5bn framework important for UK water infrastructure?
The framework is significant because it forms part of Anglian Water’s wider £11bn AMP8 investment programme.
Construction Digital reported that the Major Projects Framework is designed to accelerate schemes intended to improve water quality, strengthen environmental resilience and support sustainable growth across the East of England.
Anglian Water said its wider investment plan is responding to the infrastructure requirements of growing communities while also addressing environmental pressures. The utility identified the need for resilient water and water recycling infrastructure as an important part of supporting future economic development in the region.
The programme also has a wider geographical and economic significance. Anglian Water said its investment is intended to provide infrastructure capable of accommodating developments and growth, including major initiatives such as the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor, Sizewell C and the proposed Universal Studios theme park in Bedford.
For organisations working across Constructions and Civil Engineering, the development also illustrates the scale and complexity of infrastructure programmes being delivered through long-term framework arrangements.
What projects will VolkerFitzpatrick and VolkerStevin initially support?
One of the first major programmes expected to benefit from the framework is Anglian Water’s coastal water improvement programme.
Construction Digital reported that the initial programme is valued at more than £400m and is aimed at reducing storm overflows while improving water quality at coastal locations throughout the East of England.
Anglian Water provided further detail, saying the programme will address storm spills and bacteriological factors affecting coastal waters. The utility said the investment is expected to provide benefits for bathing and shellfish waters along the East of England coastline.
Anglian Water identified a number of locations where investment will take place, including Great Yarmouth in Norfolk and Southend in Essex, as well as priority areas including King’s Lynn, Boston and sites across Suffolk.
Other industry reporting has placed the coastal programme at approximately £450m, with plans expected to involve multiple work packages and more than 55 individual schemes. Water industry reporting has also identified projects at Southend, Great Yarmouth, King’s Lynn and Boston.
The difference between the more than £400m figure used by Anglian Water and Construction Digital and the approximately £450m figure reported elsewhere reflects different descriptions of the expected programme value rather than a change in the underlying framework award.
How will VolkerFitzpatrick and VolkerStevin work together?
The appointment brings together complementary capabilities from two VolkerWessels UK businesses.
Construction Digital reported that the combined offering includes civil engineering design and delivery, infrastructure programme management, mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, control and automation (MEICA), coastal and environmental resilience work, and collaborative framework-based project delivery.
VolkerFitzpatrick separately confirmed the appointment, stating that its partnership with VolkerStevin would provide a comprehensive range of capabilities covering civil engineering, infrastructure delivery and MEICA expertise.
VolkerStevin also confirmed that its specialist infrastructure capabilities will complement VolkerFitzpatrick’s civil engineering and construction experience.
The combination is particularly relevant to water infrastructure because large schemes often require multiple engineering disciplines to be integrated throughout design, construction and commissioning.
What did James Hindes say about the appointment?
James Hindes, VolkerWessels UK Board Director, welcomed the appointment.
As reported by Candiece Cyrus of Construction Digital, Hindes said the selection reflected the collective expertise of the VolkerWessels UK businesses and the value created through collaboration. He also said the two businesses were positioned to support Anglian Water in delivering resilient and sustainable infrastructure.
In its own announcement, VolkerFitzpatrick reported Hindes as saying: “We are delighted to have been selected by Anglian Water for this important framework.” The company said Hindes linked the appointment to the combined expertise of VolkerFitzpatrick and VolkerStevin.
Hindes also described the intended relationship with Anglian Water as a long-term partnership focused on infrastructure that can benefit customers, communities and the environment.
How does the framework fit into Anglian Water’s £11bn AMP8 programme?
Anglian Water’s Major Projects Framework is one element of a much larger investment programme.
According to Anglian Water, the company invested £1.1bn during the first year of AMP8 and worked on more than 1,100 capital projects. The utility said that delivery rate was more than twice the annual rate achieved during AMP7.
During the same period, Anglian Water said it installed approximately 140.5km of new water mains and more than 316,000 smart meters.
The company said the second year of AMP8 is now under way and will involve an investment of £1.6bn, which it described as the largest annual investment in its history.
The figures underline the scale of the infrastructure programme in which VolkerFitzpatrick and VolkerStevin are now positioned to participate.
What other companies are part of the framework?
VolkerFitzpatrick and VolkerStevin are not the only delivery partners appointed by Anglian Water.
The second framework position has been awarded to Ferrovial Construction and MWH Treatment, which will work together as a joint venture.
Anglian Water said the two partnerships will provide additional specialist capability alongside its established delivery arrangements. The framework has been deliberately established outside existing delivery routes so that current capacity can be protected while additional capability is introduced for AMP8 and subsequent investment.
The framework will cover a broad mix of disciplines, including civil engineering, green and traditional civil engineering, MEICA and process technology.
Industry publication Construction Enquirer, in reporting by Aaron Morby, described the appointment as a shift towards two integrated Tier 1 delivery partners for major capital schemes, operating alongside Anglian Water’s existing Strategic Pipeline Alliance, @one Alliance and Integrated Operational Solutions arrangements.
How long will the Anglian Water framework run?
Industry reporting indicates that the framework has an initial five-year period, with an option for a further five-year extension.
Olivia Tempest of Smart Water Magazine reported that the contracts were expected to run initially from August 2026 to August 2031, with the possibility of extending the arrangement to 2036.
WaterBriefing likewise reported estimated contract dates beginning in August 2026, with a possible extension through 2036.
The extended timeframe would give the appointed partnerships the opportunity to participate in a sustained pipeline of major water and wastewater infrastructure projects rather than a single construction scheme.
What does Early Contractor Involvement mean for the programme?
A significant feature of the framework is Early Contractor Involvement, which brings delivery partners into the development process earlier.
Anglian Water said the approach is intended to encourage collaboration from the outset and support efficient and cost-effective delivery.
The model allows specialist contractors to contribute their expertise before construction is fully under way. For complex infrastructure schemes, this can help align design, construction requirements, engineering constraints and supply-chain considerations earlier in the project lifecycle.
The framework therefore reflects a wider movement towards collaborative procurement and long-term delivery partnerships within major UK infrastructure.
What is the scale of VolkerWessels UK?
Construction Digital reported that VolkerWessels UK employs more than 3,500 people nationwide and has turnover exceeding £1.3bn.
The group operates through five main business units, with VolkerFitzpatrick and VolkerStevin among the businesses involved in infrastructure delivery. Construction Digital also reported that VolkerFitzpatrick traces its history back more than 100 years and that VolkerFitzpatrick and VolkerStevin have a record of joint delivery on major UK infrastructure projects.
VolkerStevin brings experience across areas including defence, flood risk management, ports, energy and water infrastructure, while VolkerFitzpatrick provides multidisciplinary construction and civil engineering capabilities.
The appointment therefore builds on an existing relationship between the two businesses rather than creating an entirely new partnership.
What could the framework mean for the East of England?
The immediate focus is on water quality, environmental resilience and major infrastructure delivery, but the wider programme has implications for communities and economic development.
Anglian Water said the coastal investment will help protect coastal waters and support local economies. The company reported that 96.3% of the region’s designated bathing waters were rated Good or Excellent by the Environment Agency in November 2025, describing this as its best set of results since the introduction of new bathing-water regulations in 2015.
The new investment is intended to build on that progress while addressing storm spills and other environmental pressures.
For the construction sector, the programme also represents a substantial pipeline of work involving civil engineering, project delivery, environmental infrastructure and specialist technical disciplines. Organisations involved in Project Management and Constructions and Civil Engineering therefore operate within areas directly relevant to the delivery requirements outlined by Anglian Water and its framework partners.
As the East of England continues to experience population and economic growth, the infrastructure required to support new homes, businesses and major developments is likely to remain an important part of the regional investment agenda.
What is the wider significance for UK infrastructure delivery?
The VolkerFitzpatrick and VolkerStevin appointment illustrates how major UK infrastructure owners are increasingly using framework-based procurement to secure specialist delivery capability for long-term investment programmes.
Construction Digital reported that clients across major infrastructure sectors are increasingly favouring framework agreements over individual, one-off tendered contracts.
In Anglian Water’s case, the framework is intended to provide additional capacity while allowing projects to develop through closer collaboration between the client, delivery partners and specialist supply chains.
The approach also gives the appointed companies a clearer view of a potential project pipeline while allowing Anglian Water to draw on specialist expertise as individual schemes progress.
For VolkerWessels UK, the appointment strengthens its position within the UK water infrastructure market. For Anglian Water, it adds another delivery partnership to a major investment programme aimed at improving resilience, environmental performance and infrastructure capacity across the East of England.
As the programme develops, the coastal water improvement schemes and other major projects under AMP8 will provide an important test of how effectively collaborative frameworks can translate large-scale investment into infrastructure improvements for communities and the environment.