Meet Steve Parry, MOLA Northampton Director
Steve Parry is the Director of MOLA Northampton. He tells us about his team, new opportunities and reveals his top tip for developers...
Q Tell us a bit about your role as Director of MOLA Northampton?
A I provide strategic leadership focusing on consistent high-quality service for our clients, supporting their development programmes. My job is often exciting; we carry out a massive range of work and need to find solutions to challenges thrown at our clients.
Q You have led the Northampton team for 15 years, what would you say are the team’s greatest strengths?
A The team has a long track record for successful delivery of projects and has a huge amount of experience in residential development, infrastructure schemes in support of commercial development and road/ utility improvements and the aggregates industry. We have developed a flexible approach of matrix management whereby specialist staff are deployed to provide skills related to the specific demands of the project.
Q What do you think the Northampton team brings to MOLA?
A The Northampton team brings complementary skills and experience to the organisation. MOLA has a great reputation for complex urban, waterfront and infrastructure schemes while much of the work of the Northampton team relates to the evaluation and mitigation of green field sites and areas of historic market towns.
Q How do you think the merger will impact on your existing offer and services?
A Initially clients will find that it is very much business as usual, with the same team in place to provide the right solutions to their specific needs. However, joining MOLA has enabled greater investment in the business than was possible within a local authority environment. We have already purchased new Bartington magnetometers which mean that our geophysical survey team is now one of the largest in the UK and can deliver a number of substantial projects concurrently.
Q Does the new union present any exciting opportunities?
A Yes. Previously, as a mid-sized archaeological contractor, it was hard to compete for the largest tenders but now as part of one of the largest archaeological organisations in the UK clients can be assured that we have the capacity to deliver multi million pound schemes on time and budget.
Q Northamptonshire Archaeology was a public sector organisation but you now operate independently. How do you think this will affect the way you work?
A While the County Council was always supportive of our work it had its own priorities, which could sometimes be difficult to reconcile with the needs of our clients. Having joined a well-established, independent archaeological organisation the focus is entirely on the delivery of high quality, cost-effective schemes to clients.
Q Do you have any advice for developers looking to work in the Midlands?
A The key to managing risk for a proposed development is to plan ahead and plan early. This is certainly the case when considering archaeology where early assessment and, where appropriate, evaluation enable cost effective mitigation without delaying the development.
