Martin Lavers: Assistant Director

Martin is a Chartered Civil Engineer with over 30 years’ experience. He has a strong background in highways and bridges design, highways maintenance, construction and project management. He has worked on both roads and railways and has an excellent record of delivery in both the private and public sectors.

Martin is currently employed by Portsmouth City Council as an Assistant Director in the Regeneration Directorate. In this role, he is responsible for a team of engineers and project managers who deliver transport and regeneration schemes ranging from minor maintenance to multi-million pound construction projects.

Qualifications include BSc (Hons) in Civil Engineering: University of Surrey (1986); Chartered Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers (1993).

Guy Mason: Coastal and Drainage Manager

Guy has spent nearly twenty years in the construction industry gaining experience in commercial and residential property construction, joining the Environment Agency in 2001 undertaking a variety of roles within Flood Defence. To include leading on project appraisal and construction.

He joined Portsmouth City Council in 2013 promoting and funding both Southsea and North Portsea Flood Defence Schemes through appraisal into construction valued at over £225m.

He acts as Client Manager to the Eastern Solent Coastal Partnership which undertakes coastal protection work for five Local Authorities (Gosport, Fareham Havant, Portsmouth and Chichester). Officers from this partnership are currently deployed in the delivery of North Portsea and Southsea schemes.

Guy is responsible for ensuring Portsmouth City Council undertakes it statutory duties in line with the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.

Barnaby Fry: Principal Project Manager Team Leader

Barnaby has over 25 years’ experience in the construction and industrial sectors. He has demonstrated a history of delivering the construction of infrastructure. Skilled in contract management and the procurement of design and build contractors.

Barnaby leads a team of project managers delivering major civil engineering infrastructure schemes across the Portsmouth area including; Tipner motorway junction and Park & Ride, Northern Road (road over rail) bridge replacement, Dunsbury Park link road and the Hard Transport Interchange.

Qualifications include BSc (Hons) Geology; Prince 2 Practitioner; NEC accredited project manager.

Fernando Lopes: Major Highways Projects

Fernando has many years’ rich experience dealing with multi-million-pound highways projects (UK and overseas). Fernando has delivered a range of projects for both local authority, private developers and central government bodies. He has worked across areas of planning, engineering, funding bids, project management, contract management and programme management.

Fernando is a Chartered Member of Portuguese Institution of Civil Engineers and Fellow of Institute of Highways Engineers. He joined Portsmouth City Council, Infrastructure Team in 2018 and is delivery lead for capital projects including South East Hampshire Rapid Transit and Eastern Corridor Cycle Improvements.

Peter Relf: Highway Improvements

Peter is an experienced Highways Engineer, with over 30 years in the construction industry – 27 of those years with Portsmouth City Council. Having started out in the council as a Highways Inspector, Peter has worked his way up through various roles to his current position, and so has a full understanding and experience of the requirements at the various levels within the highways discipline. He has at some time worked with most departments and other areas within the council.

Peter and his team deliver highway projects across the whole of Portsmouth. These schemes vary in size and complexity and can range from traffic calming schemes, junction upgrades and improvements, cycling infrastructure, bus infrastructure and pedestrian crossing improvements. He also manages the private developer led highway schemes on behalf of the Highway Authority, under the s278 / s38 process.

Peter has Upper Second Class BEng (Hons) in Civil Engineering and is a graduate member of the Institution of Civil Engineers.

Richard Stocks: PFI Deputy Contract Manager (Technical)

Richard has over forty years’ experience in civil engineering working in both the public and private sectors. He has worked with district authorities as well as county councils and Highways England on highways design, maintenance and project management.

Richard joined Portsmouth City Council in February 2022 and is currently managing the Highways PFI (Private Finance Initiative) Contract team for the council. This team is responsible for ensuring that the Highways PFI Service Provider carries out their duties and these are done to the agreed standards or better.

From April 2023 this team will also be taking on the maintenance of the other highway assets of Portsmouth City Council that are not covered in the Highways PFI agreement. Thereby providing a single point of management for all of Portsmouth City Councils highways assets.

Due to the public facing nature of the work in this team, this work is dynamic and to sometimes challenging timescales. This is seen especially when working with the Service Provider in the management of extreme or emergency events.

Verity Earl: Assistant Project Manager

Verity started as Project Support in April 2021, progressing to an Assistant Project Manager after only 10 months. She is also hoping to start an apprenticeship in September so she can progress to being a Project Manager. This is fully supported by all her superiors and even encouraged as they see her potential to progress.

Verity loves working in Project Management, having previously worked in Finance and teaching GCSE Mathematics. She has lived in Portsmouth since she went to university here, meaning she is passionate about being a part of regenerating it.

Verity is currently working on the SEHRT projects, as well as on the Terminal Annexe. She says she has learnt a lot from the Senior Project Manager who is in charge of this project.

Stacey Grant: Highways PFI Network Co-ordinator

Stacey joined PCC in 2008 on a temporary contract in the Parking service, she was then given the opportunity to move onto Waste Management before eventually moving to her present team 6 years ago in Highways PFI.

Stacey’s role as Network Coordinator oversees the running of the Colas/Ensign Highways Maintenance contract, specifically anything relating to temporary street works, road closures, events and the Portsmouth Permit Scheme, which she says is one of the best run permit schemes in the south east area!  Stacey has enjoyed learning and gaining knowledge in this field, helped along by the most experienced and inspirational people along the way.

Abi Kelly: Senior Project Manager

Abi has worked at PCC for a number of years and has been lucky enough to work within the Infrastructure team for just over 10 of these. As a Senior Project Manager she has enjoyed the diversity the role offers her, enabling Abi to develop and learn along the way.

Abi has been involved in major projects such as the City Centre Road, the Hard and the Transport Hub managing the design and planning stages alongside helping to establish frameworks and support with procurement.

Recently she have been given the opportunity to complete a Management and Leadership course promoting women in the workplace. Professional development is really important to Abi and knowing that plans are in place to support this and enable progression in the team is invaluable.

Eurico Almeida: Senior Highways Engineer

Eurico joined Portsmouth City Council in 2018, as an Assistant Highways Engineer, he wanted to work on a diverse range of projects and improve his experience on-site and he has achieved all this and more. His background is Engineer Consultancies, specialising in residential developments but Eurico wanted a new challenge which would allow him to run a project from start to finish, identify the problem, design a solution, carry out the consultation, procure a contractor and deliver the works.

Eurico has worked on everything from small improvements that make a big difference to people’s lives to multi-million-pound projects which have helped transform the city. He has been supported to move forward with his career within a multicultural and inclusive team that delivers exciting and life changing projects.