黑洞社区

Mace is considering mounting a High Court challenge to HS2鈥檚 award of a 拢170m deal on phase two of the mega-project to US consultant CH2M, 黑洞社区 understands.

The firm, in JV with Turner & Townsend (T&T), lost out on the role to CH2M earlier this month, alongside fellow shortlisted bidder Bechtel.

Market sources said Mace could lodge a High Court challenge to the award, which is currently in the standstill period, within days.

When contacted by 黑洞社区, a Mace spokesperson said: 鈥淎s a British owned company, we were naturally disappointed with HS2鈥檚 decision and are looking closely at our options.

鈥淲e felt our experience working on the third runway at Heathrow, the London 2012 Olympics and Hinkley Point C, combined with our strong presence in the North of England, would have been an asset to successfully completing this important British project on time and within budget.鈥�

A spokesperson for T&T said the consultant 鈥渨as not challenging the contract.鈥� Bechtel鈥檚 position on the award is not known at this stage.

CH2M referred enquiries to HS2. An HS2 spokesperson said: 鈥淲e confirm that HS2 Ltd has received a request for information regarding the proposed award of the role of Development Partner for Phase Two B. These types of questions are not uncommon during the standstill period.  HS2 is responding to these questions.鈥�

Bechtel has been contacted for comment.

HS2 Ltd selected CH2M as the winner for the 拢170m development partner role on the second phase of HS2 earlier this month, as tipped by 黑洞社区.

The role is a seven-year contract worth between 拢130m and 拢170m on the development of the high-speed line branching north of Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds.

The CH2M win caused controversy coming soon after HS2 Ltd鈥檚 appointment of CH2M European managing director Mark Thurston as its chief executive last month, after the client鈥檚 previous boss Simon Kirby left last September for an executive role at Rolls-Royce.

An anonymous Conservative MP and the Taxpayers鈥� Alliance both criticised Thurston鈥檚 appointment to the London newspaper City AM earlier this month, with the Taxpayers鈥� Alliance criticising what it called a 鈥渞evolving door between HS2 Ltd and CH2M鈥�.

Thurston is to replace interim HS2 Ltd chief executive Roy Hill, who was himself seconded to the client from CH2M and will return to the engineer.

CH2M - which has been the subject of press speculation of a possible 拢3bn merger with Atkins - also won the 拢350m contract to be engineering delivery partner on phase one of the HS2 megaproject last spring, in joint venture with Atkins and Spanish engineer Sener.

Responding to the risk of conflicts of interest in Thurston鈥檚 new client role, HS2 Ltd chairman Sir David Higgins has previously said Thurston will 鈥渃ut all links鈥� with CH2M before starting his new job.

He added: 鈥淸CH2M] will be treated in the same way as any other supplier - no more or less favourably than that.

鈥淎ll those who bid for work with HS2 have the right to know that they will be treated on the same basis and, as we have shown to date, we are determined that our systems are constructed in such a way as to deliver that equal treatment.鈥�