Fit for the Future: Backing AMP8 with Targeted Investment

With around £2.84 million committed across plant, vehicles, tools and equipment, the programme includes 14 new Hitachi diggers, 22 new Transit Custom Trend vans, 4 grab lorries and a beavertail flat-bed lorry.

The new diggers have been selected for their build quality and are being equipped with a range of features to improve safety, control and performance on site. These include tracking technology, toothless buckets, safety shield systems, thumbs-up technology and height and slew restrictions, helping operators work more safely in challenging environments, including around overhead power lines.

The van fleet is also being upgraded with enhanced safety and welfare features, including reversing sensors, reversing cameras, forward-facing sensors, Samsara technology, racking, wash units, soap dispensers, eye wash stations and first aid provision. Together, these additions will help create safer, better-equipped working environments for teams across the business while supporting day-to-day operational efficiency.

The investment is about more than adding assets. It is about building greater capability and control into the operation. By bringing more plant and transport resource in house, Cappagh Browne can reduce reliance on external suppliers, respond more quickly to operational requirements and support a broader scope and volume of work.

The programme also supports wider net zero sustainability ambitions. Smaller vehicles are moving towards plug-in hybrid technology, while newer engines and battery-powered tools will help reduce emissions and improve efficiency as the fleet continues to evolve.

Jeff Birtwhistle, Managing Director of Cappagh Browne, explained:
“Our 2026 plant and transport investment is a direct investment in delivery. It is about making sure Cappagh Browne has the capability, resilience and operational control to meet increasing demand across AMP8 and respond with speed when it matters most.

“As the scale and complexity of our work continues to grow, so does the need for a stronger, more capable fleet and plant operation. Just as importantly, this investment gives us greater control over delivery. By bringing more capability in house, we can reduce reliance on external suppliers, mobilise more quickly and support both planned works and urgent operational response more effectively. In a 24/7 business, that ability to act decisively is critical.

This is about building a stronger operation for the future. One that is better equipped, better prepared and ready to deliver more.”

This latest investment reflects Cappagh Browne’s continued focus on strengthening the capability behind delivery and ensuring the business is equipped to meet the demands of AMP8 with confidence.