About us

The region covers an area extending from Cumbria to Cheshire, and from the Pennines to the Welsh border. We liaise with all major client bodies, Government departments, local authorities, utilities and many other sectors of industry relating to the work of our members. We strive to work with others to make sure that the region continues to be able to benefit from world class infrastructure, whether in relation to our transport systems, energy infrastructure, waste and water networks, and communications capability. Our Annual Review is available here: NW Annual Review Report 2024 LR.

CECA North West members have the capability and capacity to deliver projects of all sizes in disciplines across the whole of the infrastructure sector.

We offer an effective route for any North West client to engage with the region’s contractors, supporting local supply chains. Our members employ workers drawn from the North West to ensure that the money from investment projects remains in the region, further boosting our economy.

North West England has a long history of civil engineering excellence, including:

• Anderton Boat Lift
• Thirlmere Aqueduct – bringing clean water from the Lake District to Manchester
• Liverpool and Manchester Railway: the world’s first passenger inter-city railway
• The Manchester Ship Canal and Barton Swing Aqueduct: the only swing aqueduct in the world
• The Preston By-pass: Britain’s first motorway

And all manner of world class achievements, including:

• Sellafield: the world’s first commercial nuclear power station
• Lovell Telescope: originally, the world’s largest steerable dish radio telescope
• National Graphene Institute
• The first splitting of the atom by Ernest Rutherford
• University of Manchester built the world’s first programmable computer

And also, being home to:

• Alan Turing, the code-breaker
• The Beatles
• Rolls Royce Cars
• The Grand National: the world’s most famous steeplechase
• William Wordsworth