At an industry event held on 17 July, Heathrow became the latest signatory to the UK Steel Charter, “signalling its continued support for this vital strategic industry and maximising the opportunities for UK steel producers to supply the Heathrow Expansion project”.

Heathrow (www.heathrow.com) is the first major private-sector signatory of the Charter, and the announcement follows public-sector support from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), and the Scottish and Welsh Governments.

In signing the Charter, Heathrow has committed to taking specific steps to maximise the amount of UK steel used
in the project.

These steps include: developing a future ‘steel pipeline’ that details and publicises its future steel requirements well in advance of tendering and construction; placing a clause in appropriate contracts requiring the origin of steel to be provided; and monitoring and producing data on the levels of UK-produced steel used in the expansion.

In the coming months, UK Steel (www.makeuk.org/about/uk-steel) will be working to encourage more organisations to follow Heathrow’s example and sign the Charter — in particular, other Government departments with oversight for major projects and spending, such as the Department for Transport and the Ministry of Defence.

With the Heathrow Expansion project now on-board, support will also be sought from other major infrastructure projects, including HS2 and offshore wind-farm developers.

Gareth Stace, UK Steel’s director general, said: “Right from the start, Heathrow Expansion has been committed to ensuring that the benefits of this multi-billion-pound project are felt in every corner of the UK.

“In signing the UK Steel Charter, Heathrow is giving steel producers the length and breadth of the UK the best-possible chance of playing a major part in this exciting project.”