Capability Overview
About Story
Story Contracting is a privately-owned, multi-disciplinary civil engineering infrastructure company who is financially secure and agile with a wide range of public, private and third sector clients who enjoy working with our talented and committed team.
Founded in 1987 by Fred Story, we now have over 1100 colleagues providing award-winning civil engineering solutions across the length and breadth of the UK, operating out of 11 offices and depots from Perth in the North, to London in the South.
We pride ourselves on building strong relationships with our clients, supply chain, and local communities and are committed to delivering excellence through a collaborative approach across our operations.
We boast extensive experience of delivering high quality civil engineering solutions in regulated industries which focus on public service, such as rail, infrastructure, highways, and local authority works. This provides our teams with a wealth of experience to support our clients to develop and deliver optimal value project methodologies.
Our values
We have established a strong track record for delivery on time and to budget, safely and reliably, which is reflected in our motto of ‘Do It Right!’
Our values are at the heart of everything we do - the way we work, the behaviours we display and our recruitment campaigns, and we believe that these are what make Story Contracting and our people exceptional.
Grounded - Everyone is equal at Story. We are down to Earth, we treat each other with respect, we recognise that everyone plays an important part in our business. Our senior leaders are accessible, and we don’t tolerate egos. We are all in it together.
Hardworking - We all pull our weight and work hard for each other. We go the extra mile for our clients and the communities we work in. We learn from our mistakes and use our initiative. We work smart to exceed our clients’ expectations on every project.
Proud - We are proud of our people, our projects, our clients and the success we create together. We are proud of our values and who we are and our commitment to safety, the environment and our communities.
Family - We nurture, train, develop and keep our people safe. We support each other, we are inclusive, and we work as one without barriers or silo working. We do the right thing for the business and its people. We have a strong team spirit, enjoy working with each other and we have fun!
Trusted - What we say is what we do. Our clients, our people, and our communities trust us to do it right. We know how long trust takes the build and we are committed to protecting it. Our clients know we do what we say, always looking to add values wherever we can. We believe in open and honest collaborative relationships.
Winners - We are hungry for success and want to be the best performing contractor for our clients, our people and our communities. We are proud of the awards we win for our safety performance, our projects and our talented people.
National capability
From our roots in Carlisle, where our Head Office is still based, our business has expanded over the course of the last 38 years to provide award-winning services throughout the UK. We now have 11 offices and depots across the country, allowing us to support clients from the following locations:
Perth Office
Salsburgh Depot
Blantyre Office
Carlisle Head Office
Middlesbrough Office
Normanton Office
Chorley Office
Beckingham Depot
Tamworth Office
Birmingham Depot
London Office
Story & Galliford Try: working together
Carlisle Southern Link Road - £25m Story Contracting worked in close collaborating with the Galliford Try team throughout the Carlisle Southern Link Road, with all Story works now complete safely, on time and to budget. The project saw the Story team successfully deliver eight of the nine structures being constructed along the length of the new route, with each structure ranging from £1.4m to £6m in value.
The scope covered ground works, piling, insitu reinforced concrete foundation/abutments, installation of steel and pre-cast beam and insitu reinforced concrete bridges decks, pre-cast approach units as well as cladded reinforced earth wall along with fencing, bridge parapets and waterproofing.
Key deliverables included:
• 4500m3 of concrete poured
• 123,500tonnes of structural backfill placed and 3,350m2 of cladding and blocks installed as part of the reinforced earthwall system
• 67 pre-cast bridge beam and 105 pre-cast approach units installed
• 17 steel bridge beams installed
Across the project Story provided a turnkey solution to deliver all works from the substructure foundations to waterproofing of the bridge decks.
The Story and Galliford Try teams also worked together, alongside Cumberland Council to organise and deliver a range of meaningful social value activities in the local community. This included the delivery of a three-day work experience programme to 130 students at Caldew School in Dalston, with the assistance of the wider project supply chain.
What we do
Over the last 38 we have established a strong reputation for doing it right by our clients, our supply chain and our communities, whilst delivering award-winning, multi-disciplinary civil engineering solutions.
With over 1,100 colleagues located throughout the UK, we provide complex solutions to projects in a wide range of sectors, including multiple highly regulated industries. From multi-disciplinary integration and possession working, to significant reinforced concrete installations and pipe, drainage and cable ducting installations, our teams are equipped with a wealth of directly transferable experience and skills.
Specialist in-house teams
Story Geotech
We specialise in high quality foundation, civil, geotechnical and structural engineering services for the rail, highways and infrastructure sectors. Our team capture the right information at site firsttime prior to construction, helping to reduce hidden risks. We offer innovative ways of working, and collaborate with clients to achieve optimum solutions.
Story Plant
Our extensive fleet is suitable for undertaking even the most complex of projects, for hire anywhere in the country backed by a highly skilled award-winning team. With a fleet of more than 120 machines, we are able to offer a range of innovative solutions and pride ourselves on working closely with our clients to develop the most efficient plant solutions.
Example projects
NRS Potable Water Main
The Story carried out the installation of a new potable water main and service ducts across the decomissioned nuclear power station at Chapelcross. Over the course of the project, the team installed 1.6km of 125mm potable water main, with brand connections and ties into existing buildings with pressure testing and cholorination successfully completed. Alongside this, 1.4km of communications and electrical ducting was installed throughout the site, as well as drainage repairs, road upgrades, installation of a new weightbridge, a 30m x 7m concrete slab and new fencing.
Holmen Iggesund Effluent Treatment Plant
Story completed works to carry out the civils installation as part of works to install a new Effluent Treatment Plant at the papermill facility in Workington, Cumbria. The works included the construction of a complex drainage system, diversion of process drainage and installation of permanent revised above-ground effluent drainage and the installation of mechanical and pipe bridge foundations. Extensive concrete works were also completed, including the installation of concrete slabs, clarifier bases, reinforced concrete tank bases, a 600m2 sludge handling building including 7-metre-high bunker walls.
Housing Development Infrastructure
Throughout our history we have completed a wide range of housing development infrastructure projects, including delivery of earthworks, drainage, utilities and road infrastructure across developments of up to 200 plots. Our works also include individual plot works, from foundations up to damp course level.
These projects have seen our team develop a range of speciallydesigned drainage elements, including bespoke bentonite lined drains, pumping stations and SuDS ponds.
James Walker Flood Defences
James Walker’s site in Cockermouth fell victim to over 1 metre of flooding in 2009 and 2015, resulting in Story being contracted to construct flood defence measures to protect the factory from a ‘one in 1000’ flood event. Works included extensive earthworks, installation of 900 piles, installation of two new pumping stations, construction of two large flood plain loss compensating swales with a 11,000m3 capacity and 3no motorised vehicular hydraulic floodgates and 3no manual pedestrian floodgates.
Bhlaraidh Wind Farm Extension
In order for additional 15 turbines to be installed, Story contracted to complete enabling works at the site in the Scottish Highlands. The works included installation of a new 1.2km main access road comprising of 6F2 and Type 2 material, a 18,000m2 substation platform, and a new permanent water crossing consisting of a 8.89m span corrugated steel arch and gabion basket wingwalls, as well as five new culverts and access track drainage tying into the wind farm’s existing drainage channels.
Environment & Sustainability
Our commitment to ‘Do It Right’ means we ‘Do It Sustainably’. Our Environmental and Sustainability Policy exceeds ISO 14001 requirements and is backed by our Executive Leadership Team, ensuring top-down commitment and continuous improvement.
We are committed to achieving Net Zero Carbon by 2025, with our Carbon Reduction Plan aligned to PPN 06/21 and validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). This Plan will be revised in March 2026 to reflect a more ambitious Net Zero target by 2045.
We measure and publicly report emissions annually through SECR and ESOS, and our internal procedures ensure carbon management is built into our operations. Our dedicated Carbon Reduction Steering Group, PAS 2080 Working Group, and Safety & Sustainability Leadership Board drive progress and accountability throughout our business.
We integrate environmental thinking into every stage of project delivery. From planning to execution, our teams are equipped with the tools, training, and expertise to make informed, sustainable decisions. Our Environmental Management System, certified to ISO 14001:2015, ensures compliance and drives performance across all sites.
Every project benefits from tailored plans including:
• Environmental Aspects & Impacts Register – site-specific risk identification and mitigation.
• Environmental & Social Management Plan (ESMP) – reviewed quarterly to adapt to change.
• Site Waste Management Plan (SWMP) – targeting 97% landfill diversion.
Our environmental objectives go beyond compliance, aiming for best practice in:
• Net Zero Carbon – PAS 2080, SBTi, Whole Life Carbon Assessments.
• Biodiversity – No Net Loss, Mitigation Hierarchy.
• Pollution Control, Sustainable Procurement, and Waste Reduction.
Certified to ISO 44001, we collaborate with clients, communities, and supply chain partners to deliver meaningful outcomes. At River Anker, a design rethink saved 41.45 tonnes of CO₂e and £600k. At Camps Viaduct, early ecological engagement protected sensitive habitats and improved project delivery.
Award-winning environmental performance: Browney Curve
The Browney Curve project aimed to deliver a permanent stabilisation solution for two complex landslide systems threatening the East Coast Main Line, which had caused ongoing movement, speed restrictions, and rising maintenance costs. The team prioritised sustainability by engaging early with stakeholders to embed circular economy principles and whole-life carbon considerations.
Using the carbon management hierarchy, the team eliminated a pile cap, swapped prime steel for non-prime steel and replaced CEM 1 with Ecopact concrete with 65.8% GBFS.
Operational efficiencies included bulk fuel deliveries, sourcing 100,000T of local stone, and switching from diesel to mains electricity, with these measures reducing carbon emissions by over 10,000 tonnes.
10, 251t CO2e reduction of carbon emissions
Stakeholder management
We ensure our projects not only meet the expectations of our clients, but also deliver real benefits to the communities in which we work.
Our dedicated Communications and Engagement team works closely with clients, local stakeholders, and community representatives to ensure that our activities are transparent, considerate, and aligned with local needs.
Through early and ongoing engagement, we identify opportunities to improve our work programmes and methods - helping to reduce disruption, enhance outcomes for local people, and ensure that our projects leave a positive and lasting legacy.
As well as being experienced in minimising disruption on the rail and road network when delivering projects, we also have a strong track record in the delivery of other projects where minimal disruption is paramount.
This includes working in occupied housing developments, food production facilities, tyre building factories, energy providers and working offices where as well as ensuring projects are managed to avoid downtime, there is a need to manage dust, adhere to enhanced regulatory requirements, waste products and fully engage with employees and in many cases other contractors and disciplines.
Leaving a lasting legacy
Story Contracting are incredibly proud of our motto of ‘Doing it Right’ and this means looking after, and standing by, our clients, our communities, our people and our supply chain. Our overarching business strategy is committed to continually investing in our social value activities, reducing our carbon footprint and protecting and enhancing the diverse habitats we work in.
We take our social value responsibilities very seriously and see them as an integrated part of the delivery of our projects and frameworks. We believe that strong communities make for better and more sustainable businesses, and because of that we work with our clients, local authorities and a wide variety of organisations to deliver social value activity that is meaningful and long term.
Our Social Value Strategy is reviewed annually, allowing us to respond to regional and national priorities while aligning with the outcomes that matter most to our local authority partners. Our current eight key focus areas are:
