Heathrow - Independent Fund Surveyor

Heathrow Airport Ltd and Heathrow AOC Ltd required an independent assurance partner to oversee their extensive capital investment programme, encompassing projects ranging from £20 million to over £1 billion. The challenge was to ensure that capital was being expended efficiently to deliver the outcomes of the business cases, necessitating a comprehensive assessment of major decisions across key programmes and projects.

G&T is appointed as the sole provider of Development Monitoring services, acting as the Independent Fund Surveyor for Heathrow Airport. Our role involves the continuous assessment of the reasonableness of all significant decisions, offering real-time insights into capital efficiency. We deploy expertise across all aspects of infrastructure and building delivery—including development and programme/project management, cost, schedule, risk and opportunity, contract formation and management, procurement, and construction—to identify and report on issues that may impact value delivery. Our team assures the programme and project development process through major gateways, followed by monthly reviews during the design and delivery phases. This includes the review of briefs and business cases, governance, design development, procurement strategies, delivery plans, and the transition into operation.

Through our collaborative, engaging and challenging approach, G&T has maintained independence and transparency, ensuring trust and respect from our clients. Our involvement gave Heathrow confidence that their capital investments were being managed effectively, aligning with business case objectives. Our role's success led to extending our appointment beyond the initial five-year regulatory period commencing in 2014, continuing through to the end of 2021, and subsequently negotiating for a further five-year period on a 2+3 year basis.