Published Thursday 16 July 2026 · By the JustEng team
Today’s briefing covers a record-breaking tunnelling order on the Lower Thames Crossing, fresh Building Safety Regulator data, a high-profile scaffolding prosecution, planning reforms and the latest insolvency figures — and what each story means for engineering recruitment and vacancies across the UK.
Europe’s largest ever TBM ordered for Lower Thames Crossing
National Highways has confirmed that German manufacturer Herrenknecht will build a 16.4m-diameter tunnel boring machine for the £10bn Lower Thames Crossing — the largest TBM ever used in Europe and the third largest built anywhere in the world. The 120m-long, 5,000-tonne machine will be shipped in sections to the Port of Tilbury and will excavate both 2.6-mile bores beneath the Thames, making a U-turn between drives, with tunnelling due to begin in 2028 under the Bouygues Travaux Publics–Murphy joint venture (New Civil Engineer).
Hiring angle: A tunnelling programme of this scale will drive sustained candidate demand for tunnel engineers, geotechnical specialists and site-based civils staff in Kent and Essex from 2027 onwards. Contractors who engage a specialist civil engineering recruitment partner early will be best placed in what is already a tight talent market.
Gateway 2 decisions edge up as approval rates improve
The Building Safety Regulator made 368 building control approval decisions in the 12 weeks to 28 June 2026, up from 358 in the previous reporting period, with approval rates across all application categories rising from 75% to 77%. Around 1,505 applications remain live in the system, and staged applications are now being accepted for single-tower new higher-risk buildings (BCIS).
Hiring angle: As Gateway 2 throughput improves, developers are re-mobilising stalled high-rise schemes — and that means renewed candidate demand for fire engineers and building-safety specialists. Our fire engineering recruitment team is seeing fire engineer vacancies outstrip supply across the UK.
Putney scaffold collapse ends in fines for firm and director
The HSE announced on 10 July that a London construction company and its director have been fined after a scaffold tower toppled onto Putney High Street, seriously injuring two members of the public. Investigators found the tower had been assembled incorrectly and covered in sheeting that acted “as a sail” in windy conditions, and the firm had previously been served a prohibition notice at another site (HSE).
Hiring angle: Cases like this underline why contractors are prioritising competence when hiring temporary works and site engineers. Working with a specialist recruitment agency that properly vets qualifications and track record is increasingly seen as part of a firm’s safety culture, not just its resourcing plan.
Planning reforms set to lift civil engineering vacancies
Reforms confirmed this month under the Planning and Infrastructure Act will scrap mandatory pre-application consultation for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, cutting up to 12 months from consenting timelines and saving developers an estimated £1bn. The government says 41 major project decisions have already been made this Parliament — including Mona Offshore Wind Farm, Gate Burton Energy Park and the Lower Thames Crossing — with green-lit schemes set to create around 82,000 jobs (GOV.UK).
Hiring angle: A faster consenting pipeline converts directly into civil engineering vacancies and structural engineer jobs as schemes move from planning teams into delivery. Candidates can browse live engineering jobs UK-wide on our jobs board.
Insolvency pressure keeps talent on the move
Construction remained the sector with the most insolvencies, with 281 registered construction businesses becoming insolvent in England and Wales in May 2026 — around 16% of the total — and 3,803 over the previous 12 months (BCIS).
Hiring angle: Instability releases strong engineers into the market, but they move quickly — often via headhunting rather than job adverts. Employers should benchmark offers against current pay data such as our structural engineer salary guide to secure candidates before competitors do.
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