Afterwards he visited the Viridor energy recovery plant in Fengate. Opened in December 2015 the £72m plant will process 85,000 tonnes of waste a year generating enough power for 15,000 local homes.
Earlier he visited the enterprise development site at the former Alconbury air base. Around 7000 new homes and a variety of businesses are being created plus a new rail station on the East Coast main line.
The day ended with a dinner at Orton Hall Hotel where Sir John gave a speech to ICE members. He said they must provide a voice to help the nation’s decision makers form a clear view to secure high performing infrastructure.
Sir John has had a long prestigious career in the civil engineering. He was Chief Executive of Railtrack and its successor Network Rail from 2001-2007. In 1997 he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). He was knighted in 2012 for services to engineering and construction as chair of the Olympic Delivery Authority. The same year the Government appointed him to the Airports Commission. In 2013 he completed an independent review of long-term UK infrastructure planning for the Labour Party. He is an ICE Fellow and also a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. Sir John is the 151st ICE President and will complete his term on 31 October.
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