AtkinsRéalis’ innovation and approach to sustainable housing praised by MP on visit to Epsom HQ

AtkinsRéalis, a world-class engineering services company and leading employer for Epsom and the wider region, welcomed MP Helen Maguire to its Woodcote Grove headquarters for a tour of the offices, and to meet colleagues working on global and local projects.

A key feature was a visit to one of the sites where sustainable housing developer EDAROTH (part of AtkinsRéalis) is creating new homes in Epsom using the latest methods of construction and offsite manufacturing techniques, to deliver much-needed affordable housing at pace.

Helen Maguire MP meets Mike McNicholas and Tracey Radford, along with Early Careers colleagues

Myles Dawson, construction director at EDAORTH – an acronym for Everyone Deserves a Roof Over Their Head – explained the innovative approach involving the manufacture of panels and key components in a UK factory, which are then delivered to the site for assembly.

The result is homes that are net zero, low energy-use by design and can be delivered up to 50% more quickly than using traditional construction methods - with much less disruption to residents living near the site.

There are currently four sites in the Epsom and Reigate & Banstead Borough Council areas where EDAROTH is delivering new affordable homes for Raven Housing Trust, with several more sites across the south east region currently in planning.

Helen Maguire meeting Myles Dawson from EDAROTH on a visit to one of our sites

In addition to the local delivery of housing, the Liberal Democrat MP also heard about AtkinsRealis’ global reach when introduced to young professionals from the early careers team at Woodcote Grove.

Inspiring the next generation of engineers is a key part of the company’s ethos and growth, with a total of 4,275 people recruited into early careers roles at AtkinsRéalis in the UK from 2020 to 2025 – with around 485 (11%) of those based in Epsom - which in total employs around 1,300 people.

Helen heard how they are making a difference nationally and locally on projects for clients including Heathrow, the MoD, Network Rail, EDF, Dept for Transport, and the Government Property Agency, as well as local authorities such as Surrey County Council and projects including Epsom Ponds and M25 Junction 10.

Mike McNicholas, managing director for Infrastructure UK and Ireland, has worked for AtkinsRéalis in Epsom for more than 40 years. He said: “Today AtkinsRéalis is a global business employing 13,000 people in the UK, but it all started here in Epsom.

“So we had a great opportunity to demonstrate to Helen Maguire the role we have played in the community as a leading employer but also around the world. It was from a desk in Epsom that the first designs for the world’s tallest hotel at that time, the Burj Al Arab, were sketched out and the bid for the London 2012 Olympics was conceived and delivered from here.

“The innovative approach to delivering affordable homes from EDAROTH which aims to provide a solution to the UK’s current housing crisis, is a great example of our global thinking being delivered locally on a such an important issue.”

Helen Maguire with the EDAROTH team onsite during her visit to Epsom

Helen said she was impressed by the breadth and depth of AtkinsRéalis’ projects, spanning a wide range of topics with ‘remarkable innovation’.

She added: “I was particularly pleased to meet the early careers team members - it's exciting to see how the company is inspiring the next generation.

“The company’s strong environmental focus, particularly within the housing project, also stood out during the visit to the EDAROTH site.”

 

About AtkinsRéalis  

 
Created by the integration of long-standing organizations dating back to 1911, AtkinsRéalis is a world-class engineering services and nuclear company dedicated to engineering a better future for our planet and its people. We create sustainable solutions that connect people, data and technology to transform the world's infrastructure and energy systems. We deploy global capabilities locally to our clients and deliver unique end-to-end services across the whole life cycle of an asset including consulting, advisory & environmental services, intelligent networks & cybersecurity, design & engineering, procurement, project & construction management, operations & maintenance, decommissioning and capital. The breadth and depth of our capabilities are delivered to clients in strategic sectors such as Engineering Services, Nuclear and Capital.  News and information are available at www.atkinsrealis.com or follow us on LinkedIn.