Chris Acton has been the CEO of Clancy Consulting for over a year now. In conversation with Consultancy.uk, he discusses the firm’s biggest achievements in the last year, its targets in the coming 12 months, and the trends which sustainability consultants will face amid a period of change throughout the UK.
How has the role of CEO differed from your previous experiences with Clancy Consulting?
Stepping into the CEO role at Clancy Consulting has been a significant shift from my previous experience within the firm. Previously, my focus was on delivering successful projects for our clients; now, my role is to support and enable our extremely talented teams to achieve that success on a larger scale.
My transition to CEO has allowed me to apply the leadership skills I’ve developed over the years and have a broader, more strategic focus. A key part of my role is fostering cross-collaboration within the business, sharing learning from all divisions, and ensuring we align with our long-term goals.
I’ve also been able to influence the company culture, helping to introduce a more modern, agile approach to doing business. As we enter the start of our next five-year strategic plan, we are embracing change, looking at how we operate, and bringing in new talent to drive innovation. The step-change in my own position combined with this new company approach to doing business is creating a sense of pace and proactivity – something I’m grabbing with both hands.
What have been the biggest challenges the firm has faced in that time, and what are the achievements you are most proud of?
The biggest challenge has undoubtedly been economic uncertainty within the wider industry, which has impacted affordability and the viability of projects for our clients. Additionally, the well-documented, ongoing skills’ shortage in engineering has affected the ability to meet the demand for the services of high quality individuals in certain sectors. This has led us to focus on improving internal efficiencies and developing strategies to attract and – crucially – retain talent.
Despite these challenges, we have achieved significant advancements in the past 12 months. We have adapted to market changes, strengthened our internal capabilities, and positioned ourselves for long-term growth. While our headcount has remained relatively stable, our strategic focus has been on strengthening our internal talent and enhancing operational efficiencies rather than sheer numerical growth.
Our decades of project experience in the retrofit and refurbishment sector has enabled us to answer the industry’s evolution towards higher skill levels and a more sustainable approach. I’m particularly proud of the calibre of people we are now attracting into the business which is due to a step change in our recruitment strategies, plus also the homegrown talent we are developing.
What are your targets for the coming period?
I am a strong advocate for having robust, forward-thinking plans in place to foster growth and make good on our aims as a business. We are now moving into the 2025-2030 phase of our strategic plan, which will focus on three core pillars: People, Projects, and Performance.
People: Developing the next generation of talent, not only in technical skills but also in leadership, management, and commercial areas. A key priority is ensuring our team is fully educated on sustainability in every avenue of our consultancy, now and in the future.
Projects: Expanding our M&E services to bring them on par with our civil and structural engineering divisions in terms of revenue. We are integrating sustainability and embedded carbon considerations into every project, as standard practice.
Performance: Strengthening our ESG strategy, setting clear sustainability goals, and developing robust measurement frameworks to measure our social and environmental impact across all of our consultancy services.
Longer-term, we aim to expand geographically within the UK, responding to client growth and new market opportunities. Continuation of talent retention and development will be crucial to achieving these ambitions.
Which projects are you most excited about for 2025?
We are set for a busy 2025 across our divisions, with nearing 2,000 live projects currently on the go, so there’s a lot to choose from.
One scheme which particularly stands out is the significant expansion of Perspex International’s Chapels Park plant, which forms part of the client’s major investment programme over the next five years. The scheme will see the construction of a new 1,160m2 polymerisation hall, located adjacent to the existing manufacturing facility and we are involved across geoenvironmental, civil, structural and MEP engineering disciplines.
There’s a clear commitment to sustainability here, which delivers significant environmental benefits and operational efficiencies, resulting in significantly reduced energy consumption, water consumption and CO2 emissions. In fact, CO2 emissions are set to reduce by approximately 6,000 tonnes per year, whilst water consumption is expected to decrease by approximately 100,000 tonnes per year.
There’s also a Passivhaus scheme which is an exciting one for us, as residents will be benefiting from reduced energy bills of up to 90% compared to traditional housing. Planning has recently been granted for these new homes on behalf of ECF – a joint venture between Muse, Legal & General, and Homes England – and the project forms part of the £2.5bn Salford Crescent masterplan.
Designed by dRMM Architects, all the properties in phase one of the Farmer Norton scheme would be available on affordable tenures. This development is a central part of a major regeneration scheme to transform Salford – breathing new life into disused, brownfield land to create homes that will serve as a template for how communities should be built moving forward.
With work expected to begin in summer 2025, we look forward to supporting our client, ECF, and its supply chain partners with vital engineering consultancy from design through to build.
The UK saw a change of governing party last year for the first time in 14 years. Do you expect this will lead to changes in demand for sustainability consulting?
The government’s shift in planning reform, and particularly regarding housing, must be accompanied by a stronger commitment to sustainability. Addressing housing needs without considering embodied carbon and operational sustainability is no longer an option.
In particular, the push to release green belt land for development brings challenges in ensuring sustainable urban solutions, such as improved drainage and infrastructure.
The government’s Invest 2035 modern industrial strategy and the introduction of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill will have major ramifications for many industries, which are under increased pressure to decarbonise their operations, demanding innovative and integrated approaches.
Our role as consultants in the built environment will be to support clients in navigating these changes while ensuring sustainability remains at the forefront of every decision. After all, we’re building now, for the future.
Research in recent years from the Climate Change Committee warned the UK was at risk of “squandering” its position as a leader on the road to net-zero. What roles can change in the built environment play in helping to turn that around?
Estimates state the built environment is directly responsible for 25% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the UK. If vehicle emissions are included within the scope of the built environment, the total share of UK emissions from the built environment increases to 42%. Whether we’re squandering our position as a leader in net zero or now, the fact of the matter is: achieving net-zero requires a fundamental shift in construction approaches.
From an engineering perspective, we need to move towards lower-carbon materials, such as timber, and continue advancing construction techniques that reduce reliance on traditional, high-emission materials like concrete. The focus must be on innovative, sustainable design that minimises environmental impact while delivering resilient infrastructure.
Engineers are also at the apex of placemaking: it’s about cross-industry collaboration to create communities that encourage people to live and work in more sustainable ways.
At Clancy, we have committed to a carbon reduction plan to reach net zero carbon by 2045 – five years ahead of the government’s 2050 target. We have also signed the cross-industry declaration of a climate and biodiversity emergency, which is being championed online by the Institute of Structural Engineers and other platforms.
Clancy launched new headquarters in Manchester last year. How do the offices of the firm back up its sustainability messaging in practice?
Our new headquarters at Windmill Green in the beating heart of Manchester city centre is a testament to our commitment to sustainability. The building itself underwent a substantial refurbishment in 2018/19, including a vertical extension that maximised space without unnecessary demolition and waste.
Windmill Green was the first BREEAM Outstanding-rated multi-let building in Manchester, demonstrating excellence in sustainability. It’s the perfect home for Clancy Consulting; the physical embodiment of our values as a business.
Manchester is a hub for trade: the city-centre location supports more sustainable travel and enhances our connectivity with our clients and partners. By calling a repurposed building home, we are making a statement to our partners. It is possible to create a high-quality, competitive workspace that is significantly more sustainable than a new-build alternative.
We are incredibly proud of being part of the Windmill Green community and hope this serves as an inspiration for our clients looking to future-proof their own properties through sustainable refurbishment.