“Much has changed in the industry since then,” says Peter’s son, Tim Clifford, who remains the company’s incumbent Managing Director, “In the 1960s asbestos was still being used as a building product while demolition was largely unregulated and bore little resemblance to the professional, licensed and sustainable industry it has become.”

The business actually started life as Clifford Devlin Transport Limited (it changed to Clifford Devlin Limited in 1997) and originally provided transport and disposal of hardcore and other wastes from demolition sites in the capital. By 1965 the Kentish Town-based business was undertaking demolition projects in its own right. In 1969 Peter bought-out Foncie’s stake but, given its burgeoning reputation, decided for the sake of continuity, to retain the original name.

A year later the company registered with the trade association – the National Federation of Demolition Contractors (NFDC). It left its North London base in 1972 to set-up a depot in Stepney, East London and relocated its Head Office again in 1989 to Bow. After 32 years it finally left London to relocate to a purpose-built facility in Thurrock, Essex.

Peter brought his son Tim in to run the company’s Transport Division and in 1984 Les Rose, was lured from Sindall Construction to head-up demolition operations which were becoming increasingly complex. Peter’s daughter Siobhan has been responsible for the administration and accounting at the business since 1983.

The business established its own Asbestos Division in the 1980’s to deal with the hazardous substance encountered during the course of its demolition projects. In 1984 it became one of only a handful of companies to be awarded a 5-year licence to remove Notifiable asbestos material by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE). The Division now carries out projects in its own right and accounts for over a quarter of the company’s £15 million turnover.

Further diversification in the 1990’s saw the establishment of a Building Division and the formation of Clifford Construction Limited to carry out all types of refurbishment and general building work. In 1997 the division was integrated into Clifford Devlin Limited and prospers as the company’s Building Works Division today.

In 1999 the company delivered its first £1 million plus project – the strip-out and cut-and-carve demolition of an 8-storey office block in Mayfair Place, London W1. Steady, incremental growth and sustained investment in human resources and management systems culminated in 2007 when the company was appointed as a tier-2 demolition contractor for the enabling works for the 2012 Olympic Project. Eleven years later it won a place on the demolition framework for another landmark civil engineering scheme, HS2.

The company had remained family-owned and family-run since founder Peter Clifford’s passing in 2010 but seeking to gradually reduce their workload while maintaining continuity the family’s second generation announced in February 2021 that Clifford Devlin would transition its ownership structure to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT). As part of this restructuring exercise the company’s existing Management Board were appointed as full Board members, creating directorships for Liam Hennessy (Operations), Martin Doble (Building Works), Derek Aslett (Commercial) and Ian O’Connor (HSQE).

Tim Clifford, who remains as Managing Director, believes the move to employee ownership will help secure the long-term future of the Clifford Devlin brand:

“The EOT route will enable us to transition the ownership structure without the potential disruption a sale to new owners might involve, thereby maintaining continuity of brand, culture and business process which is what our father would have wanted,” says Tim, “It is also an opportunity for us to recognise and reward the contribution our staff make to the development and continued success of the company”.

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A year later she moved to Shield Environmental – working initially in the back-office before gradually assuming more site-based roles to eventually be promoted to Asbestos Supervisor and Trainee Contracts Manager.

In 2021 Courtney qualified as an ARCA-qualified Asbestos Contracts Manager.

How did you get involved in the Asbestos Industry?
The short answer is I followed in my father’s footsteps. He has worked in asbestos removal for over 30 years and after leaving school I landed my first job at Silverdell thanks to his contacts in the sector. Working on the admin team was a great introduction but I was more curious about the operational side of the work. I had to fight quite hard before they allowed me to join the boys on-site but once there I took to it like a duck to water and realised that is where my strengths lie.

What motivated you to move to London and join Clifford Devlin?
After six years working in Cardiff and Swansea I felt I needed a change of scenery, geographically and career-wise. Then the Clifford Devlin opportunity came up and a chance to kill two birds with one stone. My Dad had started his career in the UK’s ‘asbestos capital’ and warned me how different things would be. He wasn’t wrong – its very fast-paced and seemingly every day presents new challenge but I love it… well everything apart from the travelling and parking!

There aren’t many female Asbestos Contracts Managers. What is it like being a woman in what is still a very male-dominated profession?

To be honest I haven’t had any problems, yet.

My workmates and other operatives I encounter on site are generally very supportive and accept that I’m there to a job and they treat me like anyone else.

I must say the team at Clifford Devlin have been so welcoming and encouraging since I started which has really helped me settle-in since moving from Wales.

What does the future hold?
The sky’s the limit. I’m very ambitious and eager to seek out opportunities to learn new skills and absorb knowledge from my colleagues. The company is multi-disciplined and I would really love to get involved in the demolition side of the business one-day.

What does Courtney get up to in her spare time?
Ive always been quite sporty and spent 8 years playing rugby for Osprey’s Women’s team. However since moving to London I have contented myself with exploring the city. My partner and I are trying to work our way through “130 Things to do in London”. We’ve only managed twenty so far but my favourites up till now are the Science and Natural History Museums in Kensington which are fascinating.

I’m also learning to play the Theremin in my spare time too!

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In June 2021 we relocated our Head Office from Bow, East London, to purpose-built space in Thurrock, Essex. The 1.6 acre site contains refurbished offices for twenty admin and management staff, meeting rooms as well as space for our plant, fleet and materials stores.

“It was quite a wrench to leave our home of the last 32 years,” says Clifford Devlin’s Head of Administration, Siobhan Clifford, “However, the new site offers us excellent transport links with the Dartford Crossing on our doorstep and the A13 and M25 just 5 minutes away. This will make us more accessible for staff and visitors while enhancing our responsiveness for reactive contracts throughout London and the Home Counties.”

The site in Bow had also become awkward to operate from explains Siobhan:
“It was definitely time for us to move on,” she says, “When we moved to Bow the location near Devons Road was essentially an industrial site and a perfect location for our yard. In recent years the area has become increasingly gentrified with industrial units re-developed for residential tenants and arts/crafts workshops who were less tolerant of the presence of our plant, machinery and operatives.”

“The need to move was some time ago factored into the long term succession planning for the business and has now been neatly choreographed to coincide with the change of ownership to the EOT and the formation of the new Board of Directors.”

The new address is: Clifford House, Hedley Avenue, West Thurrock, Grays, Essex RM20 4EL

The telephone number remains the same: 020 7538 8721

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One hundred per cent of the shares previously owned by the second generation of the family-owned business established by Peter Clifford and Alphonsus (“Foncie”) Devlin, have been transferred to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT).

An EOT is a special form of employee benefit trust introduced by the Government in September 2014 in an attempt to encourage more shareholders to set up a corporate structure similar to the John Lewis model. The aim is to facilitate wider employee-ownership, albeit via an indirect holding company.

Managing Director, Tim Clifford, believes that the move to employee ownership will help secure the long-term future of the business:
“The EOT route will enable us to transition the ownership structure without the potential disruption a sale to new owners might involve, thereby maintaining continuity of culture and business process which is what our father would have wanted,” says Tim, “It is also an opportunity for us to recognise and reward the contribution our staff make to the development and continued success of the company”.

As part of this restructuring exercise the company’s existing Management Board have been appointed as full Board members, creating directorships for Liam Hennessy (Operations), Martin Doble (Building Works), Derek Aslett (Commercial) and Ian O’Connor (HSQE).

The current Board believes that this development will also contribute to the seamless continuation of the Clifford Devlin brand and business into the future:
“Promoting our Management Board to senior status will help reduce some of the workload for day-to-day activities on the existing Directors and will improve overall governance of the business. It will further enable us to gradually transition our responsibilities over the course of time,” said Tim.

Clifford Devlin will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2022. The firm has been a fixture of the capital’s demolition industry since 1962 when the business was originally established in North London, before moving to East London in 1972. The company, which has added asbestos removal and building works to its original core offering of demolition, has remained a family-owned business throughout. Peter Clifford, who passed away in 2010 at the age of 83, gradually transferred control and ownership to members of his family before standing down in 1998.

The company specialises in complex, inner-city, enabling works projects featuring demolition, asbestos removal, structural alternations and groundworks packages. The building division also offers a full refurbishment service. In 2020 it completed a £7.5m project to facilitate the development of the Euston hub of HS2.

Data suggests that employee-owned businesses drive corporate performance with higher productivity, profitability and greater levels of innovations.
“Aligning the interests of business needs and employees can make companies focus more on the long-term and secure more sustainable growth with an engaged and committed workforce” continues Tim Clifford, “By giving our staff a greater stake in the business we aim to increase their engagement and commitment and help build a platform for the future growth as well as provide them with an opportunity to share in the continued success of the company.”

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“I look forward to using my experience at Board level of various construction and civil engineering businesses to help Clifford Devlin transition to the EOT,” says Declan, “The company has an excellent reputation in the industry and I am convinced the new ownership structure will allow continued stability and help facilitate its further potential.”

In February Clifford Devlin announced it was transitioning its ownership structure to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT). The restructuring, which saw members of the company’s management team appointed as Board Directors of Clifford Devlin Ltd, with one, Ian O’Connor, also being appointed to the EOT Board of Directors, is designed to provide the company with stability and continuity while existing members of the Clifford family gradually reduce their influence and handover more responsibility over time.

“Declan’s experience of managing major infrastructure projects across a wide range of sectors will help develop and enhance our ability to deliver complex, multi-disciplined schemes which has been Clifford Devlin’s forte for many years,” said Managing Director Tim Clifford, “His presence on our new board will provide the additional knowledge and expertise we need to manage our ownership transition.”

The company, which specialises in inner-city, enabling works projects featuring demolition, asbestos removal, structural alterations and groundworks packages, recently completed a £7.5m project to facilitate the development of the Euston hub of HS2.

Declan Sherry has over 30 years’ experience in the construction and civil engineering industries having specialised in delivering projects across a wide range of sectors from infrastructure to defence, energy, commercial and residential both in the UK and Europe.
Most recently he was part of the governance team at the £9 billion project to redevelop the iconic Battersea Power Station.

Declan has been a Chartered Civil Engineer since 2000 and a Fellow of the Institute of Directors since 2016. Declan career began in 1989 and spans three family run businesses: O’Rourke Civil Engineering Ltd, Lancsville Construction & Henry Underground & Rail Services Ltd and McGee Group. Declan founded Red Key Ltd in 2016 as a management consultancy.

In addition to his work at Battersea Power Station Declan has been involved in the successful delivery of a number of other major infrastructure and nationally strategic projects including Hinkley Point C, Kings Cross, Urenco’s Tails Management Facility, a number of London Underground station and infrastructure upgrades, iconic headquarter projects including BAA Riverside and Bloomberg London as well as several Hospital PFI developments.

Declan is a keen advocate of behavioural safety improvement and is passionate about mentoring staff, passing on knowledge and experience to aid staff progression.

“I am looking forward to working with the new Board, the greater Clifford Devlin team and of course our clients.” says Declan.

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“This independent endorsement of our cyber security systems will give our clients reassurance that any confidential or sensitive data that we may manage as part of our contracts and projects is secure and protected from malicious attack,” said Clifford Devlin’s Head of Administration. Siobhan Clifford.

The audit examined the company’s IT assets such as its network infrastructure, software and operating systems and the range and depth of its security architecture such as firewalls, login and password management, software updates, user controls and malware protection.

Launched in 2014 by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Cyber Essentials Scheme is a UK government information assurance initiative operated by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) which encourages organisations to adopt good practice in information security. It includes an assurance framework and a simple set of security controls to protect information from threats coming from the internet.

It addresses the most common Internet-based threats to cyber security — particularly, attacks that use widely available tools and demand little skill. The scheme considers these threats to be:

• hacking — exploiting known vulnerabilities in Internet-connected devices, using widely available tools and techniques
• phishing — and other ways of tricking users into installing or executing a malicious application
• password guessing — manual or automated attempts to log on from the Internet, by guessing passwords

Clifford Devlin is also registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) as a Data Controller under with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) – Reference Number Z9477512.

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Our updated privacy policy explains what information we collect, how it is stored and safeguarded, how you can access it and how it may be used.

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“Much has changed in the industry since then”, says Peter’s son, Tim Clifford, who is the current Managing Director, “Largely unregulated, demolition in the early 1960s bore little resemblance to the professional, licensed and sustainable industry it has become.”

The company has kept pace with all the developments and enhancements in the sector and has been at the forefront of many – being one of the first demolition companies to provide data for environmental targets (BREEAM) and sign-up to the “Halving Waste to Landfill” scheme.

The business actually started life as Clifford Devlin Transport Limited (it changed to Clifford Devlin Limited in 1997) and originally provided transport and disposal of hardcore and other wastes from demolition sites in the capital. By 1965 the Kentish Town-based business was undertaking demolition projects in its own right. In 1969 Peter bought-out Foncie’s stake but, given its burgeoning reputation, decided for the sake of continuity, to retain the original name.

A year later the company registered with the trade association – the National Federation of Demolition Contractors (NFDC). It left its North London base in 1972 to set-up a depot in Stepney, East London and relocated again in 1989 to its current Head Office in Bow.

Peter brought his son Tim in to run the company’s Transport Division and in 1984 Les Rose, was lured from Sindall Construction to Head-up Demolition Operations which were becoming increasingly complex.

Peter’s daughter Siobhan has been responsible for the administration and accounting at the business since 1983.

The business established its own Asbestos Division in the 1980’s to deal with the hazardous substance encountered during the course of its demolition projects. It became one of only a handful of companies to be awarded a 5-year license to remove Notifiable asbestos material by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE). The Division now carries out projects in its own right and accounts for over a third of the company’s £10 million turnover.

Further diversification in the 1990’s saw the establishment of a Building Division and the formation of Clifford Construction Limited to carry out all types of refurbishment and general building work. In 1997 the division was integrated into Clifford Devlin Limited and prospers as the companies Building & Special Works Division today.

In 1999 the company delivered its first £1 million plus project – the strip-out and cut-and-carve demolition of an 8-storey office block in Mayfair Place, London W1. Steady, incremental growth and sustained investment in human resources and management systems culminated in 2007 when the company was appointed as a tier-2 demolition contractor for the enabling works for the 2012 Olympic Project.

The company’s growing status has been officially recognised with nominations in four of the last five years for “Specialist Demolition Contractor of the Year” by Construction News magazine.

When Peter died in 2010 at the age of 83, he left behind a robust, multi-disciplined, confident organisation that employs over 100 full-time staff. While it remains family-owned and family-run its investment in technology, management team and systems has enabled it to build a well-earned reputation for professionalism that has resulted in long-term close trading partnerships with customers in the private and public sectors.

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This accreditation enables Clifford Devlin to carry out ‘lineside’ demolition and building projects. The Link Up scheme reflects the additional rigour required for work carried out in the vicinity of rail lines which requires greater appreciation of health and safety and environmental considerations.

Clifford Devlin specialises in delivering logistically difficult, complex, demolition projects which present challenges that arise from confined space and the proximity of sensitive receptors.

The company has hands-on experience of working around London Underground locations and premises. It is currently engaged in the demolition phase of an eight-story block adjacent to Tower Hill Underground station. Part of the building is situated above the station’s ticket office, entrance and thoroughfare which will remain operational throughout the duration of the project. Clifford Devlin have installed waterproofing and a steel protection deck to protect the ticket office.

In 2004 it carried out the demolition of a two-storey building and slab structure above Brixton tube station which involved the removal of a staircase between the escalators.

Link-up is the UK rail industry supplier registration and qualification scheme. Originally established over a decade ago, Link-up has made a significant impact to the rail industry by providing a single common qualification process for suppliers that is shared by Network Rail and over 80 rail organisations including Infrastructure Management Contractors, Underground Infrastructure companies, Construction companies and all major Train and Freight Operators.

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The brochure utilises new innovative online page turning flash technology allowing a quick and easy way of viewing information compared to the tradition brochure format.

The brochure gives current information about Clifford Devlin including introducing potential clients to the specialised divisions of demolition, asbestos removal and building.

A number of case studies have been included in the brochure allowing the reader to understand the various works that Clifford Devlin has undertaken.

Managing Director Tim Clifford said “We believe that our clients will appreciate this innovative method of delivering company information. In line with our corporate commitment to environmental responsibility, wherever possible, we seek to use electronic means of information delivery and the reduction of reliance on hard copy document production.”

An animated compact disc will soon be available, which contains further information about the company and the services it delivers.

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