Enabling Better Infrastructure in the South West

Christopher Ackland

Christopher is a chartered civil engineer from Plymouth with seven years of post-graduate experience. He carried out placements on site and in rail during his degree, before moving to Bristol to join WSP, having settled on a career in flood and coastal risk management.

Following a move to Exeter and having taken on increasing project management and pastoral responsibilities at WSP, Chris joined Moffatt & Nichol to help grow their UK coastal team in 2023.

Chris is a member of the ICE South West regional committee and sits on the steering group of the South West Infrastructure Partnership (SWIP). He presents the Beyond Brunel podcast, which talks about the future of infrastructure in the South West. Chris was the lead author for the SWIP South West Vision 2050, examining regional infrastructure requirements to 2050.

Noting the importance of engineers’ educational role in society, Chris has worked extensively with the ICE, University of Plymouth, and others to support next generation initiatives. He is an enthusiastic mentor and voice for early career professionals.

Dr Stephen Allen

Dr Stephen Allen is an associate professor in the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering at the University of Bath.  His research and teachings focus on measuring sustainability in design and engineering, particularly use of life cycle assessment (LCA) in the development of construction products. He joined the University of Bath in 2018, having previously worked as the scientific adviser on energy at the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, and as a senior consultant and then director of energy and environmental consultancies in industry. He is also a recipient of the George Stephenson Prize (IMechE, 2008) for LCA of wind power. 

Sophie Broadfield

Sophie is responsible for ensuring the council’s policies improve places, support delivery of net zero and address inequality. This includes managing the following service teams: transport strategy, sustainable economy, planning and building control, culture and heritage. She also oversees the director of capital and housing.

Sajid Butt

Sajid has an extensive track record in economic development, spanning policy, strategy, and delivery roles at national, regional, and local level.

At Great South West, Sajid is responsible for clean energy and food security to ensure the region remains visible within national priorities centred on economic growth, domestic security, and resilient systems and infrastructure, as well as overseeing wider economic analysis for the region.

Prior to joining Great South West, Sajid was at Enterprise M3 LEP where he led on several initiatives including sustainable economic growth, AI adoption, and impact investing.

Sajid also worked for Southampton City Council where he developed and managed the Future of Work programme, which helped to shape innovative skills and business growth services for local and regional delivery and shaped an outline smart city proposition.

David Clegg

David has key experience in local government highways and uses this to provide advisory services to clients in areas such as policy, strategy, procurement and organisational design. 

David has supported several local authority clients in the delivery of procurement projects, where his role has been to lead on the contract strategy and design. He has also co-authored a report on building carbon reduction into procurement processes on behalf of the Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation. 

He is a highly motivated, experienced incorporated engineer, an ICE Fellow and a member of the Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation.

David is recognised as an effective leader, who as a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, takes pride in supporting the professional development of others.

Nick Cooper

Nick has extensive experience in infrastructure communications, working on projects with National Highways, Costain, Network Rail and Crossrail, to name just a few.

He started his career in the civil service before moving to housing and strategic land promotion, and then into infrastructure. 

He recently spent two years on the A30 Chiverton to Carland Cross upgrade in Cornwall and now leads local communications and engagement for the Agratas gigafactory project in Bridgwater, Somerset.

Livvy Drake

Livvy works with organisations to achieve their sustainability goals. She uses the principles of behavioural science to empower changemakers to achieve greater behaviour change outside of the green echo chamber. She has practical sustainability and behaviour change experience spanning local authorities, corporate organisations and campaigns. 

Jason Hones

Starting in the Royal Engineers as a Troop Commander in the 1990s, Jason deployed on operations to the Falkland Islands, Saudi Arabia, Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.

Jason led his squadron of 220 soldiers to Afghanistan in 2008 to undertaken combat and military engineering operations in Helmand province. In 2012, Jason became the Commanding Officer of 23 Engineer Regiment (Air Assault) – consisting of over 700 military engineers – which was held at 24 hours’ notice to move to deploy globally. 

Jason started in Highways England in 2018 as the Head of Strategy and Transformation. In 2020, he was the Midlands’ Regional Delivery Director for Major Projects. He started as Regional Director South West in August 2022.

Natalie King

AccXel is the UK’s first industry-led construction school. Natalie created this pioneering initiative with her sister, Nicola Bird as a bold response to the construction industry’s deepening skills crisis.

AccXel is not just a training provider but a movement redefining how the sector attracts, trains, and retains talent. Nicola and Natalie’s vision for AccXel is rooted in innovation, inclusivity, and a fierce commitment to raising the profile of construction as a modern, aspirational career choice.

A qualified barrister and a proud member of Gray’s Inn, Natalie also holds a postgraduate diploma in town planning and an MBA, equipping her with a multidimensional perspective on the intersecting challenges of industry, infrastructure, and education.

Natalie and Nicola’s shared mission is to revolutionise construction education by closing the gap between training and industry needs. AccXel’s curriculum is shaped by real-time employer feedback and emerging sector trends, ensuring learners graduate with skills that are not only relevant but future-proof.  Since its launch, AccXel has formed high-impact collaborations with global industry partners and governmental bodies, rapidly earning a reputation for excellence and innovation.

Now in its fourth year, AccXel continues to gain national recognition as a disruptor in the sector. Under Natalie’s leadership, the organisation champions diversity and inclusivity at all levels, actively challenging outdated stereotypes and working to build a more representative and resilient construction workforce.

At its core, Natalie and Nicola’s work at AccXel is driven by purpose: to empower individuals, transform communities, and support the industry to build a better tomorrow. The AccXel mission is simple, but powerful: to support people to construct the future.

Peter Kydd

Peter is an ICE Fellow with more than 45 years’ professional experience. He specialises as a consultant engineer in carbon reduction, renewable energy, water and transport. Although he’s retired, he continues to advise national and local governments.

He’s also a strategic consultant to WSP, undertaking due diligence in areas such as climate change action planning, decarbonisation and tidal power.

Peter won the Gold Medal for his contributions to renewable energy use and decarbonisation across the transport and water sectors, along with his work to support economic growth in South West England.

Michael O’Neill

Michael is a chartered engineer with over 25 years’ experience in site development and has successfully led design teams in delivering complex civil engineering and public realm projects while working in the UK and the US.

Michael is Stantec’s project director for the ring road and associated infrastructure for This is Gravity, a smart campus in Somerset.

Dave Slater

Dave leads Natural England (NE) in the South West. He works closely with a range of major planning issues on land and sea. Prior to this role he held national director roles, leading NE’s work on wildlife management and leading on NE’s most complex planning casework including major infrastructure such as off shore wind and HS2. 

He has  a degree in zoology and a masters in ecology and environmental management and five years as a wildlife guide in Africa. He also worked for Oxford University’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit. His academic focus is resolving conflicts between wildlife and people. Dave held a range of roles and gained experience in change management, project management and resource planning as well as a three-year stint as close adviser to the chair and CEO of NE and manager of their private office. 

Dave lives on the West Dorset coast has a passion for nature, and spends every spare moment out enjoying the wealth of beautiful natural places – running, cycling, paddling and swimming often with one or more of his three teenagers. 

Professor Colin Taylor

Colin is emeritus professor of earthquake engineering at the University of Bristol. He is an ICE policy Fellow for sub-national infrastructure decarbonisation, and is champion of the South West Infrastructure Partnership’s net zero route mapping activities. He has over 40 years' research and practice experience on the impacts of natural hazards on all kinds of infrastructure systems.

Sally Walters

Sally is a chartered civil engineer and fellow of the ICE. Sally has over 20 years’ experience of working in the water sector. She is an Operations Director for Stantec, leading the Stantec Water Teams in the West and Wales. Sally is a general member of the ICE Council, member of the CPD Audit Panel, the chair for the ICE South West Regional Committee, a member of the Water and Sanitation Community Advisory Board CAB, and a Supervising Civil Engineer. Sally is a keen promoter of the ICE and engineering as a career. She is a STEM Ambassador and a mentor to university students.