Pioneering machinery allows Ryebridge to finish project TWO weeks early

A team from Ryebridge shaved weeks off a major project through the use of a game-changing new piece of equipment.

After the company was contracted to carry out concrete paving reconstruction works at Tilbury Docks, the decision was taken to engage a 2m wide concrete planer, a piece of machinery which has only been used in the UK for the past couple of years.

This planed out 2,000 sq m of concrete, 300mm deep, in just two days.

All the material was graded as recycled part 1, which meant it was ready to be used elsewhere.

Traditionally a project of this scope would have involved using two or three diggers to break up the existing concrete and then transporting it to a crusher, and would have taken between two to three weeks.

The time saved was important not only for Ryebridge, but also for the port, where the use of space is commercially crucial, so the project will be completed two weeks ahead of the 10 week schedule.

Project manager Kevin Wilson said: “This machinery really is a gamechanger for the industry, and our client was extremely pleased to have this part of the docks back in use for storage much earlier than they anticipated.”

Managing director Sean Scully added: “The innovative and successful use of a concrete planer means this approach will be used on future jobs elsewhere, ensuring Ryebridge brings this best practice approach to other projects.”

Pedal to the metal! Ryebridge sponsors racing event

Ryebridge took pole position to back one of the country’s most exciting racing events.

The company was headline sponsor for the British Pedal Car Grand Prix, a high speed event which sees up to 40 teams of daredevils race their pedal-powered hot-rods around a two-hour street circuit through the market town of Ringwood in Hampshire.

Inspired by the Pedal Car Races held in the twin town of Pont-Audemer in Normandy, Ringwood Round Table decided to organise a similar event back in 1987, and it has now been going for 36 years.

After last year’s event was cancelled when the organisers ran into financial difficulties, Ryebridge stepped in with the offer of sponsorship and provided the crowd barriers for the race.

The 2025 British Pedal Car Grand Prix proved to be a resounding success, drawing huge crowds and delivering thrilling, wheel-to-wheel action despite the scorching summer heat.

A spokesperson for the Round Table said: “The atmosphere was electric from start to finish, with families, racing fans, and teams from across the UK turning out in force to celebrate this unique and much-loved event.

“In true Grand Prix spirit, the heat did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of competitors or spectators. Teams showed remarkable endurance and sportsmanship under tough conditions, pushing both their engineering and athletic limits over the gruelling two-hour race.

“This year’s podium saw an outstanding performance from the Polton Boys, who took first place with a commanding lead as only the second duo to take the crown. Peletony Racing followed closely in second, while Doughty Racing secured third after a fierce battle in the closing stages.

“With fantastic community support, exciting racing, and a brilliant display of teamwork and ingenuity, the 2025 British Pedal Car Grand Prix was one of the most successful to date. The event not only upheld its tradition of fun and fierce competition but also strengthened its reputation as one of the UK’s most distinctive and entertaining sporting spectacles. Planning is already underway to make 2026 even bigger and better.”

Ryebridge managing director Sean Scully said: “This was a fantastic event for us to get behind, and highlights our ongoing commitment to supporting the community in and around Southampton.

“We look forward to continuing our partnership in the years to come.”

Ryebridge keep things moving for road users in St Albans

A team from Ryebridge Construction completed work on a major drainage project five days earlier than expected - ensuring minimum disruption for residents, businesses and other road users.

The project, at Ridgeview Lodge in Barnet Road, London Colney, involved the excavation and installation of a new storm drain, with the road expected to be closed until Sunday.

But the determination and resourcefulness of the Ryebridge team resulted in all work finished well ahead of schedule.

Project manager Don Wall said: “Ryebridge Construction have successfully opened Barnet Road to the public this morning after a tremendous push on site to install the storm drain through a forest of services with great success.

“The road closure was until Sunday August 17, so to open the main road five days early to appease the public and remove the diversion will only benefit the council and local businesses.”

Managing director Sean Scully added: “Highway construction works are always challenging and timeframes can be difficult to achieve. We pride ourselves on accurate programming and delivery.

“Paramount importance is always safety with no exceptions however we are aware of the impact on surrounding areas and take every measure to complete on time. We had engaged with local businesses and residents and got a huge sense of frustration about these essential works and the closure so to be out early is great for everyone.”

Ryebridge makes the shortlist for four national awards categories

Ryebridge’s run of nominations for leading national awards continues…

Our work constructing a new mezzanine floor in the International Departures Lounge at London Luton Airport has been shortlisted in the Airport Achievement category for the Aviation Industry Awards UK 2025, an event which sees the cream of the United Kingdom’s aviation industry recognised and celebrated in front of hundreds of senior executives.

This recognises the challenges of constructing the 675 sq m floor in a live airport environment, a complex and extremely technical project delivered in partnership with the LLA Development Team, which required collaboration with designers, structural engineers, sub-contractors, airside operations, airport security, airport technical services, terminal duty managers and airport concessions.

The awards ceremony takes place on September 9 at the Park Plaza London Riverbank.

The mezzanine floor project has also secured us a shortlist place in the Innovation of the Year category of the National Building and Construction Awards, held at the Leonardo Royal London Tower Bridge Hotel on October 10.

Alongside that particular project, we have reached the finals of the NCBA’s Project of the Year (up to £10m) category for the Temporary Drop-Off Zone (TDOZ) at London Luton Airport, and the Community Engagement category for our social value work in Luton.

The TDOZ project was initiated following the fire and collapse of the multi-storey Terminal Car Park 2 in October 2023, and was deemed to be time critical due to the loss of revenue caused by the multi-storey car park fire.

The new TDOZ involved the relocation of the existing taxi rank, the diversion of the pedestrian walkway into the airport, a new car park, new street lighting, a new traffic system, a new barrierless payment system using ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition), plus new signage, lining and street furniture.

The project had to be phased in such a way as to keep the bus terminal live with no delays, while ensuring the relocation of the taxi rank without disruption, and keeping easyJet, goods in waste away and the executive car park fully operational.

It was completed in just 13 and a half weeks, far ahead of the original timetable of 20 weeks, and even quicker than a revised 16 weeks, ensuring it was ready for the start of the school holidays.

Ryebridge Construction’s finalist slot for Community Engagement comes after we were recognised as ‘hero stakeholder’ for the socio-economic value created because of our work with Luton Airport, the town and the surrounding region.

This means focus on supporting and promoting the town wherever possible, with more than 90% of site and office staff coming from the immediate area, a local supply chain and close links with nearby colleges and schools which ensures a steady flow of apprentices and work experience students.

This mutually-beneficial relationship also includes raising more than £400,000 for local charities including Keech Hospice, Level Trust, Luton Food Bank and Age Concern Luton - as we recognise they are the lifeblood of the local community - being an active member of Love Luton and sponsoring Luton Town FC.

We are committed to Luton becoming a healthy, fair and sustainable town offering opportunities for everyone to thrive, where nobody has to live in poverty, which also means supporting local charities and activities wherever possible.

Ryebridge managing director Sean Scully said: “We are genuinely humbled to be recognised for our work across these different awards and categories, and would like to thank everyone involved in these projects and initiatives for all of their hard work.

“While we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed for a win in the autumn, we’re just delighted to be able to celebrate these achievements with our partners and peers.”

The TDOZ at LLA.

The mezzanine floor in the International Departures Lounge at London Luton Airport.

Ryebridge hits the headlines again on BBC Look East

Bedfordshire is booming – and Ryebridge is right at the heart of making it happen.

The expansion of London Luton Airport and a Universal Studios theme park in Bedford are positive signs of growth for the local economy following the devastating closure of Luton’s Vauxhall factory in March.

Just weeks after appearing on an ITV News report looking at how the county was set to welcome these major construction products over the coming years, Ryebridge was asked to feature on a BBC Look East slot which aired last weekend.

Managing director Sean Scully appeared in a section after community activist Glenn Jenkins expressed his concerns that Luton had turned from a town of makers to a town of packers.

Sean responded: “I get the point but I actually disagree.”

Talking over footage of Ryebridge staff working on the new Alpha taxiway at the airport, Sean highlighted the company’s investment in a local workforce: “We have young people going from Level 2 all the way through to Level 5 and Level 6 higher apprenticeships, and that isn't packing stuff. That's site engineers, site foreman, site managers and supervisors.”

He said afterwards: “As a company which employs more than 90% of site and office staff from the immediate area, uses a local supply chain and enjoys close links with nearby colleges and schools which ensures a steady flow of apprentices and work experience students, our investment in the local economy is undeniable.

“We hope that appearing on news bulletins for the BBC and ITV goes some way towards highlighting the positive stories for Luton and Bedfordshire, and shows there are a lot of things to look forward to across the county.”

To see the report, visit: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002fz2f/politics-east-13072025

Ryebridge team on BBC Look East

Ryebridge and partners celebrate at Construction News Awards

Representatives from Ryebridge Construction, architects Rock Townsend and Associated British Ports celebrated reaching the finals of this year’s Construction News Awards – one of the most prestigious accolades in its field.

The ceremony took place at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane in London, attended by a who’s who of businesses from across the construction industry, and presented by TV comedy actor and comedian Stephen Mangan, best known for his roles in Green Wing and I’m Alan Partridge.

Ryebridge and our partners were shortlisted in the Carbon Reduction Champion category - just one of just 12 finalists nationwide - for taking an innovative approach to moving materials at a project in Southampton.

When working on the redevelopment of Marchwood Port on behalf of ABP, we took the bold decision to transport the 26,000 tonnes of material required by two boats, removing 3,800 lorry movements from the roads in the surrounding area.

This game-changing approach for the company not only prevented long-running congestion in the villages around the port, but avoided producing 307 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

It was even more remarkable when you consider that there was no contractual obligation to use water, that lorry movements had been approved in the planning application, and it was ultimately cheaper to use road.

But it won the hearts and minds of the local community, with many residents anxious about lorries passing through their villages.

Ryebridge managing director Sean Scully said: “Although we did not win the gong for our nomination, reaching the final was an incredible achievement when you consider how many hundreds of entries are submitted for these awards each year.

“It was a fantastic evening and a chance for us to celebrate with our partners just what we have achieved in Southampton already, and look forward to future projects down the road.”

Countdown is underway for Construction News Awards 2025

There’s just a week to go before Ryebridge find out whether they’ve secured a major accolade at the Construction News Awards 2025.

The winners will be announced at a gala ceremony next Thursday, July 10, at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane in London.

The awards are the most prestigious and sought-after awards in construction, and winning one is considered a mark of excellence recognised by clients and peers alike, but even making the shortlist is considered a huge achievement.

Ryebridge has been shortlisted in the Carbon Reduction Champion for its work at Marchwood Port redevelopment in Southampton on behalf of Associated British Ports.

Ryebridge was praised for taking the unprecedented decision to transport 13,000 tonnes of material by two boatloads, even though the client had allowed for lorry movements in their planning application and it would have been cheaper by road.

This removed 3,800 lorry movements from the roads, preventing long-running congestion in the local area and eliminating the generation of 307 metric tonnes of CO2 emissions (based on 25 tonne vehicles travelling 10 miles each).

Director Sean Scully said: “We’re incredibly excited for next week’s awards, and look forward to attending the ceremony with our partners from Associated British Ports.

“Ryebridge promotes a carbon neutral strategy across all aspects of the business, and champions any opportunity to put the planet first through low carbon initiatives, but this initiative was beyond the scope of what we’ve ever done before, so we hope it receives the recognition we think it deserves.”

Ryebridge team attend official opening of sensory garden at Luton school

A transformational outdoors project built by Ryebridge Construction at a Luton special needs school has been officially opened.

A team of Ryebridge apprentices spent a week transforming a corner of the grounds at Woodlands Secondary School into a sensory garden to provide a calm space for students with complex needs to regulate in a tranquil and beautiful environment.

It was officially launched at Woodfest 2025 – an annual celebration of all that is great about the school, including band performances, crafts stalls and community engagement activities.

The garden was the brainchild of teacher Selina Young and the school’s Eco Council, but run aground when local building firms quoted them a staggering £4-5,000 for the groundworks.

Enter Ryebridge, who not only agreed to carry out the work free of charge, but also built a pagoda for the garden while on site.

The firm’s apprentices were involved in the full design and delivery of the scheme, including sourcing materials and carrying out the actual work, providing them with invaluable first-hand experience of project management.

Woodlands prides itself on inspiring and supporting their pupils to achieve their full potential and the curriculum includes a focus on functional learning and life-skills like horticulture, which meant many of them were involved in working on the planters around the sensory garden.

Speaking after the official launch, Selina said: “After two years of work, it has been lovely finally sharing this project with the student community at Woodlands during Woodfest.

“We are excited about how we will develop this space over the coming years and have lots of ideas on how to make this a calming, welcoming, sensory outdoor experience! Again, a huge thank you again to Ryebridge for making this space accessible to all our student community and a place for students to enjoy for years to come.”

And pupils Nicholas and Mickey added: “I think it's a nice sensory garden and I like the way it is set up. It has a lot of space and I like the different coloured mirrors and the wind chime,” and “Cool, fantastic, super mega-good!”

The opening of the garden was attended by representatives from Ryebridge including managing director Sean Scully and apprentice Max Banham, who worked on the project.

Sean said: “We were delighted to see the finished garden and hear from some of the students who have been working on the site or making the most of its facilities.

“This project was one our apprentices took a real pleasure in working on, and not only did it provide them with invaluable experience, but was a scheme they felt very passionate about completing.

“Coming here today and seeing the happy smiles on Woodlands students’ makes it even more worthwhile.”

Ryebridge team appear on ITV News bulletin

Ryebridge hit the news headlines when the company featured front and centre in an ITV report on Bedfordshire’s building boom.

Reporter Rosie Dowsing heralded an exciting era for the county, with the new Universal Studios theme park and expansion of London Luton Airport set to contribute towards an additional £5bn a year for the UK economy.

That’s according to Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce, which also highlighted other benefits from the redevelopment of Luton Hoo, the upgrading of the A421 and a new east-west rail link.

ITV News chose Ryebridge – as a Luton-based construction firm – to explain how these various projects created a once in a lifetime opportunity.

The report started off with Ryebridge apprentices working on the new Taxiway Alpha at LLA, before Max Banham, Finn Scully and Nancy Tucker explained how the expansion meant more opportunities and better job roles for youngsters entering the construction industry.

Senior site engineer Vanithasan Thangavelu said it was an exiting time, with the prospect of new jobs for local engineers and other construction workers.

Finally, Ryebridge founder and owner Daniel Coyle was asked whether it was a good time to be a construction company in Bedfordshire at this time.

He said: “The new Universal Studio along with the London Luton Airport expansion plans means that as a construction company based in Luton it gives us a once in a lifetime opportunity, not only to expand as a business but also to take on more apprentices.”

Speaking after the report was broadcast, Ryebridge managing director Sean Scully added: “We were happy to take up the offer to appear on this report and explain to a wider audience about Ryebridge’s support of local apprentices and the expansion of London Luton Airport.

“Everyone who appeared on screen did us proud, and this was great exposure for Ryebridge.”

You can see the report at: https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2025-06-19/universal-theme-park-could-be-spark-for-countys-5bn-gold-rush

Ryebridge celebrates five years in ports

Although Ryebridge Construction’s origins can be found working at airports, it was probably inevitable the company embraced the opportunities of a different, yet somewhat similar, transport hub – ports.

Having established a reputation as experts in working in restricted environments with operational constraints, Ryebridge was well placed to deliver in the challenging field of ports, where it is also essential there is no impact on day-to-day operations and a need to prioritise both safety and security.

One of the first contracts to be secured was for the Port of Harwich entrance works in 2019,

This included reprofiling and alterations to the entrance and roundabout, realignment of fence line, demolition of existing damage control unit, and the installation of anti-collision measures around the new building – including bollards, trief kerbing and CCTV mast foundations.

With the existing freight entrance adjacent to the new facility it was business critical that this was kept operational for the duration of the works.

Following the success of this project, Ryebridge scouted for other opportunities at ports around the UK, and in the wake of the pandemic won the tender for a huge multi-million pound project in Southampton.

The new Solent Rail Terminal, which strengthens the city’s leading position as the UK’s number one gateway for deep-sea trade, took 18 months to complete, including a full design and build, and was the first project of this type Ryebridge had worked on.

A £17.5m investment between Associated British Ports (ABP) and Solent Stevedores, the 18-acre facility expanded the intermodal rail transport site to broaden the service offer by providing laden and empty container handling, storage, maintenance, and repair within a single-site boundary.

Features of the new site included a newly designed track layout facilitating simultaneous train arrival and departures increasing the terminal’s efficiency and extending the rail loading pad by 130m.

The larger intermodal site – which includes container storage with full maintenance and repair facilities – can now handle a 71 per cent increase in daily services with a 125 per cent increase in number of containers handled.

The success of this project led ABP to engage Ryebridge’s services on Marchwood Phase 1, the redevelopment of the port for trading, including the construction of a vast vehicular storage hard-surface area with all kerbs, surfacing, drainage, ducts and manholes, alongside a new security gatehouse and entrance.

The project, which got underway in October 2023, involved the demolition of existing site buildings and off-site highway upgrades, alongside the realignment of the internal highway network and upgraded railway crossing points, and the installation of new high mast lights, site CCTV and the electrical infrastructure.

In a company first for environmental excellence, Ryebridge transported the 13,000t of material needed for the work on two boats, eliminating 3,800 lorry movements and the generation of 307 metric tonnes of CO2 emissions (based on 25 tonne vehicles each travelling 10 miles).

Although this meant double-handling the material as it was loaded onto and off the boats, it was deemed to be worth the effort to ensure there was minimal impact on the local community.

Ryebridge’s ongoing commitment to Southampton has seen the company’s workforce grow from 10 local people and sub-contractors in 2022 to a staff of more than 50 people fully employed and drawn from the local workforce.

In November 2024 Ryebridge was engaged by DP World to work at their base at the port, removing in situ pre-cast concrete slabs, breaking out a defective drain and installing a new Gatic and brushed finished concrete slabs.

As is often the case in this environment, the project had a tight programme wand involved working in a busy live operations yard. The defective draining was causing flooding and external damage and urgently needed replacing, but by working weekends and longer days the company ensured the project was completed within time and budget.

Just over five years since Ryebridge first entered the world of ports the company has confirmed its commitment to future projects within the field, drawing on earned experience alongside the recruitment of skilled professionals best placed to operate in this marketplace.

SafeContractor status renewed for Ryebridge

Ryebridge has successfully received SafeContractor accreditation for another year.

This third-party industry-wide scheme is designed to verify the health and safety arrangements of contractors in the construction industry, ensuring compliance with relevant legislation.

Certification ensures that contractors meet high standards of health and safety, sustainability, and ethical compliance, providing reassurance to clients while giving them the credibility and trust they need to stand out in the industry.

Without certification, businesses may struggle to secure work, face compliance risks, and miss out on key opportunities.

Ryebridge’s specific accreditation relates to its work in confined spaces, excavations, heavy plant and machinery, selection control of subcontractors, traffic management, and working with chemicals and hazardous substances.

SafeContractor status is a mandatory requirement in aviation and allows Ryebridge to work at any UK airport.

Managing director Sean Scully said: “Once again achieving SafeContractor accreditation demonstrates our commitment to prioritising health and safety, ensuring we continue to play our part in improving workplaces for our employees, clients, partners and the public.”

Ryebridge boss backs Luton expansion in face of legal challenge

Ryebridge managing director Sean Scully has highlighted the benefits of expanding London Luton Airport in the face of a potential legal challenge.

Campaign group LADACAN (Luton and District Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise) claim the Development Consent Order ignored environmental concerns when granting approval.

The DCO allows LLA to expand from 19 million to 32 million passengers a year, which the airport’s owners Luton Rising say will create up to 11,000 new jobs and unlock an additional £1.5 billion in the economy every year.

As a local employer, we recognise that airport expansion will unlock investment and additional funds for public services and local communities, boosting Luton’s economy by creating jobs, enhancing skills development, and supporting the local charitable sector.

Speaking on BBC Three Counties’ JVS Show, Sean told presenter Jonathan Vernon Smith that the opportunities expansion brings would be significant to the town and wider region.

“We’ve been around Luton now for 16 years, and in this time it’s been a changing landscape, especially with recent events at Vauxhall, which are very damaging to the local area.

“We’re a Luton business, we’ve worked in and around the airport, and as a company we’ve got a massive supply chain which we procure locally, so it’s not just about Ryebridge and the airport, it's about the opportunities for them as well.

“I know that 150 local businesses and 10,000 local people signed a letter in support of expansion, and ultimately we are an island and there is a demand from people to fly.

“In my view if Luton can take advantage of that opportunity it would be fantastic for the community in the local area. All airports are looking at sustainable transport – we work at Bristol and lots of different airports – and they’re all on this journey from carbon neutral to zero.”

Luton school sends grateful thanks after Ryebridge team create sensory garden

A life-changing new sensory garden has been installed at a special needs school in Luton by a team of apprentices from Ryebridge Construction.

Woodlands Secondary School supports students aged 11-18 with severe learning difficulties or profound and multiple learning difficulties, many of whom also have additional complex needs including autistic spectrum disorder, epilepsy, physical or sensory impairments.

Teacher Selina Young worked with the school’s Eco Council on a vision for a sensory garden in the school grounds to provide a calm space to help students regulate away from the school environment.

But when it came to source quotes for the groundworks, local building firms came back with prohibitive estimates of between £4-5,000, well beyond her budget for the scheme.

Fortunately contacts at London Luton Airport put them in touch with Ryebridge, who agreed to carry out the work free of charge.

A team of apprentices supervised by project manager Don Wall, then spent the Easter holidays transforming a corner of the school grounds into the garden, including constructing a wooden shelter and paving footpaths.

Selina said afterwards: “Myself and the Eco Council at Woodlands would like to send a huge thank you to Ryebridge for helping us bring our ideas to life. We are excited to develop this space for the students of Woodlands to have a calm sensory space to enjoy our beautiful gardens.”

Acting headteacher Caroline Lowry said: “We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to your construction company for generously giving your time, expertise, and resources to build the new garden seating area.

“This important contribution is a key part of our vision for a sensory garden within the school grounds - a calm, nurturing space designed to help students regulate and recharge away from the busy school environment.

“The area will make a meaningful difference, allowing more students to benefit from the tranquillity and support the garden offers. We are grateful for your support in helping bring this vision to life.”

Student Mickey said: “20 out of 10, thank you for making the road”, while Justine added, "Amazing, good," with a thumbs up!

Ryebridge managing director Sean Scully said: “Giving back to the Luton community is at the very heart of what we try to achieve as a company, and I am proud of the work our lads did to ensure this facility was built quickly and to the very highest standards.

“I hope Woodlands pupils have many happy years of enjoyment out of the garden.”

Bristol Airport unveils new apron on site of former 'Secret Garden'

A disused part of Bristol Airport colloquially known as the “Secret Garden” is a secret no more – it’s now home to two new aircraft stands.

The land was previously used for storage, and unseen airside, but was completely transformed thanks to Ryebridge Construction in just a matter of weeks.

The major project involved creating a new West Apron on the site of the old storage area and bus charging station. On top of this Ryebridge installed a new emergency water tank holding over 220,000l of water future proofing airside operations.

The project was in the critical path and high levels of planning and liaison were required with security, airside operations, engineering and the excellent project team led by Tim Goodman supported by Quantum, Hydrock and Chase Consulting.

In just one day more than 1,000 tonnes of asphalt was transported airside and the project itself required over 200 temporary passes. After the stands were completed, the boundary fence was moved and planes were on the West Apron stands just days later.

Ryebridge managing director Sean Scully said: “This was a fantastic job by our Bristol team, ahead of schedule and with no hiccups along the way.

“We look forward to continuing our excellent relationship with the airport going forwards. Special mention to the excellent subcontractors without whom it wouldn’t have gone so smoothly, including J&G Fencing, Lincs Lining, Allpower, Balmoral Tanks and Stardom to name a few”

The “Secret Garden” before work commenced on site.

The “Secret Garden” before work commenced on site.

Work underway on the West Apron.

The finished apron.

Ryebridge are headline sponsor for British Pedal Car Grand Prix

Ryebridge has taken the chequered flag in becoming headline sponsor for the British Pedal Car Grand Prix.

This high speed event – on Sunday July 13 - sees up to 40 teams of daredevils race their pedal-powered hot-rods around a two-hour street circuit through the market town of Ringwood in Hampshire.

Inspired by the Pedal Car Races held in the twin town of Pont-Audemer in Normandy, Ringwood Round Table decided to organise a similar event back in 1987, and it has now been going for 36 years.

But last year’s event was cancelled with just two weeks to go after the organisers ran into financial difficulties.

They said at the time: “This decision was not made lightly and comes after extensive deliberation and consultation with all stakeholders involved. Several unforeseen circumstances have forced our hand, the foremost being the financial challenges driven by significant increases in the costs of holding the event, coupled with a significant number of local businesses having to reduce or cease sponsoring the event due to the current economic climate.

“Despite the best efforts of our volunteer team to address these issues, it has become clear that proceeding with the event as planned would compromise the quality and safety that participants and spectators expect.”

Determined that this year’s race should take place as planned, Ryebridge Construction put the pedal to the metal and stepped in as headline sponsor.

Managing director Sean Scully said: “As part of our ongoing investment into the Southampton area, Ryebridge is continuing to build bridges within communities around the city, and this event stood out as one in need of our support.

“We’re all really excited about getting behind the British Pedal Car Grand Prix, and hope this is the start of a long relationship.”

The organisers said: “Our sponsors, along with our race teams, are the lifeblood of the British Pedal Car Grand Prix. Costing in excess of £10,000 per year to run, our corporate sponsorship represents the bulk of the income of the event, and ensures that we’re able to deliver the event in the way that it deserves to be delivered! We are so grateful to our lovely sponsors like Ryebridge Construction.”

Ryebridge founder joins Sky Bet bike ride

Ryebridge founder and owner Daniel Coyle has completed a 28km ride as part of the Sky Bet EFL Every Minute Matters Relay.

He took on the challenge alongside cyclists representing Luton Town FC to inspire fellow football fans to donate 15 minutes of their time and learn CPR with the British Heart Foundation’s RevivR tool.

All 72 clubs in the EFL are taking part in a leg of a 4,000km relay route which sees participants run, walk and cycle between 72 stadiums before ending up at Wembley on Easter Monday.

Daniel joined Hatters club secretary Chris Clark, supporter Mark Crowther and sisters Sam and Joanne Ewington in cycling from Kenilworth Road to Stevenage’s Lamex Stadium.

He said: “This was a fantastic challenge alongside a group of great Hatters fans for a very worthwhile campaign, and I was delighted to represent Ryebridge in taking part.”

The relay is the latest phase of Sky Bet’s Every Minute Matters campaign, working with the British Heart Foundation to encourage 270,000 football fans to begin learning CPR and raise £3m towards the BHF’s vital research.

Find out how you can get involved at https://www.bhf.org.uk/how-you-can-help/how-to-save-a-life/how-to-do-cpr/learn-cpr-in-15-minutes

Ryebridge apprentices transforming school's outdoor area

A hard-working team of apprentices from Ryebridge Construction are spending the Easter holidays creating a sensory garden at a Luton-based special needs school.

Woodlands Secondary School supports students aged 11-18 with severe learning difficulties or profound and multiple learning difficulties, many of whom also have additional complex needs including autistic spectrum disorder, epilepsy, physical or sensory impairments.

The sensory garden is the brainchild of teacher Selina Young, who was inspired by Luton’s flagship initiative Climate Action Teachers Champion (CATCh), which is aimed at helping teachers and local schools access resource and support in delivering and embracing sustainability.

CATCh has been specifically designed to help teachers embed climate change and sustainability within their learning programmes, and to help school leads and senior leadership to understand how they can access local resources, funding and support to help launch their school Climate Change Action Plan.

Selina worked with the school’s Eco Council on a vision for a sensory garden in the school grounds to provide a calm space to help students regulate away from the school environment.

The aim was to create a quiet, peaceful and pretty area incorporating elements which are visually appealing, smell nice and potentially even taste good as well.

But when she approached local companies for quotes to complete the groundworks, they came back with figures in the region of £4-5K, which was beyond the school’s budget, and the entire scheme faltered.

Fortunately a conversation with the school’s careers partner London Luton Airport put them in touch with Ryebridge, who agreed to carry out the work completely free of charge.

This week a team of apprentices from Ryebridge – supervised by project manager Don Wall - are transforming a corner of the school grounds into the garden.

Managing director Sean Scully said: “This is a fantastic project which was born out of a real passion and enthusiasm from Woodlands’ students, so we were determined to see it go ahead without any further delays.

“Our lads are glad to be working on such an inspirational initative, and I can’t wait to see the finished garden.”

Ryebridge apprentices working at Woodlands School.

Ryebridge shortlisted as Carbon Reduction Champion in Construction News Awards

Ryebridge has continued its roll of high-profile industry awards nominations with one of the biggest ones yet – a shortlisted position in the Construction News Awards 2025.

The awards saw the company named in the Carbon Reduction Champion for our work at Marchwood Port redevelopment in Southampton on behalf of Associated British Ports.

Ryebridge was praised for taking the unprecedented decision to transport 13,000 tonnes of material by two boatloads, even though the client had allowed for lorry movements in their planning application and it would have been cheaper by road.

This removed 3,800 lorry movements from the roads, preventing long-running congestion in the local area and eliminating the generation of 307 metric tonnes of CO2 emissions (based on 25 tonne vehicles travelling 10 miles each).

Director Sean Scully said: “It’s amazing news to be shortlisted by the country’s leading publication for the construction industry.

“The work we did in Southampton was a game-changer for the company, and set a new precedent for how we approach future projects.

“We wish all the finalists the very best of luck and look forward to seeing them at the awards.”

All of the winners will be announced at the Construction News Awards 2025 ceremony on Thursday July 10 at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane in London.  

London Luton Airport expansion decision is "fantastic news" says Ryebridge boss

The decision to approve the expansion of London Luton Airport from 19 million to 32 million passengers a year has been welcomed by Ryebridge Construction.

As a long-term supporter of LLA for more than 15 years, the company recognises the huge benefits expansion will bring to the local area, including our hometown of Luton.

Creating up to 11,000 new jobs and unlocking an additional £1.5 billion in the economy every year, the plans will deliver one of the largest construction programmes for the town and wider region for decades.

Crucially, airport owners Luton Rising are balancing this growth with some of the most robust, far-reaching and comprehensive commitments to sustainability ever seen at a UK airport, including a legally binding and independently monitored framework with limits on noise, airport carbon emissions, air quality and surface access under a ‘Green Controlled Growth’ model.

As a local employer, Ryebridge is focused on supporting and promoting Luton wherever possible, with more than 90 per cent of our site and office staff coming from the immediate area, a local supply chain and close links with nearby colleges and schools which ensures a steady flow of apprentices and work experience students.

We recognise that airport expansion will unlock investment and additional funds for public services and local communities, boosting Luton’s economy by creating jobs, enhancing skills development, and supporting the local charitable sector.

Managing director Sean Scully said: “Since Ryebridge Construction was founded in 2009, the company has been immersed in the operation of London Luton Airport, and our team are now considered experts in airside and landside works, consistently meeting the high standards of airport environments.

“We are delighted that London Luton Airport’s aspirations for growth have been fulfilled, and look forward to continuing our close relationship in years to come.”

Speaking about the expansion on BBC Three Counties radio this morning, Sean said: “It’s fantastic news, fantastic for the community and fantastic for the area.

“Vauxhall was one of the biggest employers in Luton and they only closed their doors a few weeks ago, so the area and the community needs this… The airport plays such a huge role in generating economic growth…

“If you look at the wider spectrum, Heathrow are looking at another runway, Gatwick is looking to expand, and fundamentally there is a demand for people to fly. So if a town and community like Luton can benefit from that and want it, then it’s fantastic.”

London Luton Airport expansion decision imminent - and Ryebridge is backing it all the way

We’re just weeks away from perhaps the most important decision in Luton’s history – and Ryebridge Construction is standing shoulder-to-shoulder with everyone in the town in calling for the game-changing airport expansion to go ahead.

The owners of London Luton Airport (LLA), Luton Rising, have applied for a Development Consent Order (DCO) to add a second terminal and increase the number of annual passengers from 19 million to 32 million by the mid-2040s, unlocking £1.5 billion in economic growth.

This includes up to 11,000 new jobs at the airport and in the supply chain across the region, with around 4,800 directly in Luton. These would include fair, high-quality and well-paid jobs that are on average 34 per cent higher than the national average wage.

In addition, expansion would unlock a new Community First Fund providing an additional £1 for every additional passenger over and above the airport’s current capacity to be reinvested into Luton and its neighbouring communities.

The Chancellor Rachel Reeves MP gave fresh hope to the town in a speech which recognised that airport expansion will bring valuable growth to the UK economy, in which she mentioned the imminent decision on LLA.

Luton Rising has committed to introducing a unique and groundbreaking initiative called the Green Controlled Growth framework, which presents a legally-enforceable and environmentally-approached to managing growth, with maximum limits for greenhouse gas emissions, and controls over noise, air quality and surface access to the airport.

They said: “At a time when how to boost growth is the question on everyone’s lips, we also have a responsibility to minimise the environmental impacts of our progress whilst continuing to deliver sustainable development.”

Their proposals have been supported by more than 10,000 people who have signed a community-led petition, and more than 130 businesses that signed an open letter of support, including Ryebridge Construction.

Ryebridge managing director Sean Scully said: “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to establish London Luton Airport as one of the driving forces for growth not only in the immediate area, but across the region.

“It will also ensure life-changing investment into some of the most deprived communities within Luton itself, and help fulfil the goal of it becoming a healthy, fair and sustainable town offering opportunities for everyone to thrive, where nobody has to live in poverty.”

Speaking at a House of Lords reception to promote the DCO, Gurinder Singh Josan CBE, Labour MP for Smethwick, highlighted how the proposed expansion at London Luton Airport will support the Government’s growth agenda.

“Generating jobs is massively important, everything this Government is doing to drive growth ultimately comes down to providing more quality jobs for local people.”

This view was reinforced by Marion Geoffroy, MD of Wizz Air UK, who argued: “We employ 650 people directly from Luton and with the expansion we can aim for hundreds more.”

Alasdair Reisner, CEO of the Civil Engineering Contractors Association, agreed: “The country’s big mission now is growth - there are few projects out there that offer a better opportunity around growth. It’s a massive engine for jobs in the local community, but will also inspire growth in the economy and do what only airports can do for the economy.”

Ryebridge has signed the Luton Rising pledge board.