Mott MacDonald Bentley celebrates treble victory at British Construction and Infrastructure Awards
Mott MacDonald Bentley (MMB) and JN Bentley have taken home trophies for best Water Project, Health, Safety and Wellbeing Impact, and Environmental and Sustainability Project of the Year at the British Construction and Infrastructure Awards 2026.
Held at London’s Grosvenor Hotel, the British Construction and Infrastructure Awards (BCIAs) are the longest-running and most prestigious awards in the construction industry, recognising outstanding projects, companies and teams across the UK. With over 200 entries spanning 24 categories, and two weeks’ worth of interviews in front of an expert judging panel, this year’s competition remained exceptionally high.
Alongside representatives from Yorkshire Water, the MMB team behind the Dearne Reach Integrated Constructed Wetland project took to the stage twice during the night, to accept the coveted Water Project Award and the trophy for Environmental and Sustainability Impact. The project also received a high commendation in the Environmental Project category.
Explaining why Dearne Reach stood out, the judges recognised the scheme as an “exceptional example of engineering innovation, environmental stewardship and whole-life thinking.” The expert panel added that they were impressed by the team’s “willingness to challenge conventional thinking”, noting that the project will be a blueprint for the future of water engineering and resilient wastewater infrastructure.
As the UK's largest integrated constructed wetland covering 4.3 hectares, Dearne Reach pioneered a nature-based solution that naturally manages storm overflows and filters river pollutants. By replacing a conventional grey solution (which would have required a 7,000m³ concrete storage tank and 4.5km of steel pipeline) with a fully sustainable solution, the team delivered the same objectives with dramatically lower environmental impact, including a 60% reduction in embodied carbon, improved water quality, significant biodiversity gains and wider community benefits.
Neil Shepherd, contracts manager at MMB, added:
“As a team we are very proud of what we have achieved at Dearne Reach. The positive impact we have delivered - for the people and for the environment - will last for many years to come. It’s rewarding to be part of such a legacy project that will change how the industry manages wastewater treatment for the better.”
Later in the evening, MMB secured a further win - this time for Health, Safety and Wellbeing Impact, awarded for the company’s controlling of high energy hazards programme. Delivered to all 3,000 colleagues, alongside client and supply chain partners, it focuses on identifying and controlling the most significant risks present on construction sites, by introducing the requirement to implement either a direct, or a minimum of two secondary controls to manage the hazards.
The judges appreciated the simplicity and effectiveness of the concept, emphasising that it is both “transferable and scalable - which will have impact across the wider industry and raise awareness of high energy hazards, benefitting a wide range of sectors.”
MMB director, Ian Bester, commented,
“Being recognised in these categories is a fantastic achievement for us at MMB and JN Bentley and one that we are sincerely proud of. Ultimately, this success reflects us at our very best - delivering brilliant projects, safely and sustainably. Huge congratulations to the teams involved.”
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Congratulations to all of the MMB, JNB and Mott MacDonald teams nominated as follows:
Health, Safety and Wellbeing Impact: Control of High Energy Hazards (JNB)
Sustainability and Environmental Impact: Dearne Reach Integrated Constructed Wetland (MMB)
Water Project: Dearne Reach Integrated Constructed Wetland (MMB)
Environmental Project: Dearne Reach Integrated Constructed Wetland (MMB)
Water Project: Bolton Wastewater Treatment Works: AMP7 Quality (MMB)
Project Team Excellence: Bolton Wastewater Treatment Works: AMP7 Quality (MMB)
Upgrade and Renewal Project: Bolton Wastewater Treatment Works: AMP7 Quality (MMB)
Environmental Project of the Year: HS2 Area North Watercourse Realignments (Mott MacDonald SYSTRA Design Joint Venture)
Transport Project: Revitalising West Midlands Rail Infrastructure (Mott MacDonald)
Water Project: Lincolnshire Reservoir Ground Investigation Works (Mott MacDonald)
Net Zero Carbon Impact: Mayor of London’s Zero Carbon Accelerator – Scaling up London’s ability to decarbonise (Mott MacDonald)
Construction Excellence: HS2 Integrated Project Team North (Mott MacDonald SYSTRA Design Joint Venture)
Project Team Excellence: Clifton Rail Bridge Replacement (Mott MacDonald)
Project Team Excellence: HS2 M6 South Motorway viaduct integrated project team (Mott MacDonald SYSTRA Design Joint Venture)
