Stonbury
Stonbury is a UK water and environment sustainability specialist delivering reservoir refurbishment, wastewater asset management, and nature-based infrastructure services to all 16 major UK water companies, the Environment Agency, and Scottish Water through multi-year framework agreements.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1983
- HeadquartersBedford, United Kingdom
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Stonbury does
Stonbury Limited is a UK-based direct-delivery specialist contractor to the water and wider water environment sector, founded in 1983 and headquartered in Bedford. The company delivers asset management and infrastructure services spanning the full water cycle—from impounding reservoirs and water treatment works through to wastewater treatment and environmental systems—under a four-module operating model (Consult, Maintain, Enhance, Create). Core service lines include reservoir refurbishment, water tank maintenance, surge vessel services, storm tank installation, fish pass and weir construction, wetland creation, and (since the 2024 Panton McLeod acquisition) advanced remote inspection using ROVs and drones.
Stonbury generates revenue through multi-year framework agreements and competitive tenders, primarily serving all 16 major UK water companies (Affinity Water, Anglian Water, Bristol Water, Cambridge Water, Essex & Suffolk Water, Northumbrian Water, Portsmouth Water, Severn Trent Water, South East Water, South Staffs Water, South West Water, Southern Water, Thames Water, United Utilities, Wessex Water, Yorkshire Water) plus the Environment Agency, Scottish Water, and UK local authorities. Disclosed turnover stands at £60 million for the 2021-2024 period, with the company reporting 133 clients, 36 frameworks, and 2,949 projects delivered since 2020. Individual project values range from £5,000 to £6 million on a representative United Utilities reservoir framework. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is established per-project under framework terms.
The company has been PE-backed since late 2022 by LDC (the private equity arm of Lloyds Banking Group), which supported a major growth and M&A strategy. Headcount sits at approximately 400 employees post-Panton McLeod integration (acquired February 2024), supported by 11 regional offices across England, Wales and Scotland. Under outgoing CEO Trevor Hoyle the company more than doubled in size; leadership transitioned in 2026 to Colin Perry-Davis (CEO) and Chris Colley (COO), alongside a March 2025 corporate rebrand positioning Stonbury for the AMP8 (~£96bn 2025-2030) and SR27 DV4 regulatory investment cycles. Regulatory compliance (Regulation 31, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, Achilles UVDB, Constructionline Gold, British Safety Council five-star) is a core operational and pre-qualification requirement, and the company holds Cyber Essentials Plus and Achilles Carbon Reduce certifications.
Stonbury firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Stonbury
- Legal name
- Stonbury Limited
- Website
- https://stonbury.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1983
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Stonbury is a UK water and environment sustainability specialist delivering reservoir refurbishment, wastewater asset management, and nature-based infrastructure services to all 16 major UK water companies, the Environment Agency, and Scottish Water through multi-year framework agreements.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Stonbury industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Water Infrastructure Services
- NAICS
- Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131)
- SIC
- Water Supply (4941), Sanitary Services (4950)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Storage & Conveyance Structures (Reservoirs, Tanks, Culverts, Tunnels) (IMAFAGAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Stormwater Management & MS4 Compliance Services (BPALAMAL), Water Reuse & Reclamation Infrastructure Construction (Recycled Water Systems) (IMAFAGAH)
Keywords
Where Stonbury is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bedford
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices11 records
Markets served
Stonbury business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Water Infrastructure Services: Direct delivery of specialist water asset management solutions including reservoir refurbishment, water tank maintenance, pipe bridge work, and potable water infrastructure projects for UK water companies
- Wastewater Infrastructure Services: Sustainable maintenance, asset enhancement and infrastructure creation for conventional and nature-based wastewater treatment systems including storm tanks, reedbeds, and treatment facilities
- Environmental/Nature-Based Solutions: River restoration, weir removal, fish pass construction, wetland creation, and natural flood management programmes delivered as part of environmental sustainability commitments
- Advanced Inspection and Cleaning: Specialist inspection and cleaning services for water assets using ROVs, drones and other advanced equipment, delivered through subsidiary Panton McLeod
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Framework Agreement Based Pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Stonbury product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Stonbury is a UK water and environment sustainability specialist that delivers specialist maintenance, refurbishment, enhancement and creation services for water and wastewater infrastructure assets. The company serves UK water companies, the Environment Agency and local authorities through framework agreements, with capabilities spanning potable water assets (reservoirs, water towers, treatment works), wastewater systems (storm tanks, reedbeds), and nature-based environmental solutions (fish passes, river restoration, wetlands). Advanced inspection and cleaning capabilities are delivered through its wholly-owned subsidiary Panton McLeod using ROVs and drones.
Product overview
Stonbury is a water and environment sustainability specialist offering an integrated portfolio of asset management solutions across three core service areas: Water Asset Solutions (potable water infrastructure), Wastewater Asset Solutions, and Environmental Solutions. The company delivers services through four interconnected modules—Consult, Maintain, Enhance, and Create—that span the entire project lifecycle from initial assessment through to construction and long-term asset management. Following the 2024 acquisition of Panton McLeod, the portfolio expanded to include advanced remote inspection and cleaning capabilities using ROVs and drones. The company operates across the UK serving water companies, the Environment Agency, and local authorities, with specialized offerings including surge vessel services, reservoir refurbishment, storm tank installation, fish pass construction, and nature-based solutions such as wetland creation and reedbed installation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Panton McLeod: Specialists in advanced asset inspection and cleaning using advanced remote inspection tools including ROVs, drones and other advanced equipment. Provides fast, safe, cost-effective and sustainable solutions for water asset inspection and cleaning.
Products and services
- Water Asset Solutions
- Wastewater Asset Solutions
- Environmental Solutions
- Panton McLeod Advanced Inspection and Cleaning
- Surge Vessel Services
Quantifiable outcome
- 340 miles of river catchment opened through weir removal - largest project of its kind in the country
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Stonbury
Customer profileNamed customers18 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Stonbury technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Stonbury partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Panton McLeodcorePanton McLeod was acquired by Stonbury in February 2024 to enhance advanced inspection and cleaning capabilities using ROVs, drones and other smart technologies. Panton McLeod's 50-strong team joined Stonbury's existing 350 employees, expanding service offerings across UK and Ireland for water asset management and climate change mitigation.
- Stantec UKmajorStantec UK undertook detailed design of the Langford fish pass structure for Essex & Suffolk Water. Design collaboration with Stonbury for fish and eel pass construction on River Blackwater.
- Essex & Suffolk WatermajorClient for Langford Weir Fish Pass project; operates abstraction point on River Blackwater abstracting approximately 160 megalitres of water per day for transfer to Hanningfield Reservoir.
- Environment AgencymajorCollaborated on flood risk activity permit application and project progress for Langford fish pass. Operates designated main rivers in England.
- GMP Projects LtdminorCivils construction subcontractor for Langford fish pass project.
- GM Piling LtdminorPiling contractor for Langford fish pass project.
- OnSite Central LtdminorProvided Portadam temporary water control system for Langford fish pass construction.
- SelwoodminorTemporary pumping services for Langford fish pass project.
- Essex Ecology Services LtdminorProvided ecological appraisal for Langford fish pass project.
- Wessex Archaeology LtdminorProvided archaeological supervision for Langford fish pass project due to site location in Conservation Area.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Stonbury competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Morrison Water Services (M Group): Morrison Water Services is a direct UK specialist contractor delivering water and wastewater infrastructure services to the same utility client base as Stonbury. Both companies compete for AMP framework positions and asset management/maintenance contracts across the UK water sector.
- Barhale: Barhale is a UK civils and infrastructure specialist with a significant water utilities division serving Thames Water, Severn Trent and others. It directly competes with Stonbury for water and wastewater framework contracts and asset refurbishment work.
- Clancy Group: Clancy Group is a UK family-owned contractor providing water infrastructure services, utility connections, and civils to major water companies. It competes directly with Stonbury for maintenance, mains renewal, and AMP framework work.
- MWH Treatment (J. Murphy & Sons): MWH Treatment is a specialist water and wastewater treatment contractor (now part of J Murphy & Sons), delivering design-build and process solutions for UK water utilities. It overlaps with Stonbury on wastewater treatment infrastructure and reservoir/tank construction.
- Binnies (RSK Group): Binnies is a UK water engineering consultancy and contractor, part of RSK Group, delivering water and wastewater infrastructure solutions. It competes with Stonbury on reservoir refurbishment, treatment works, and asset management frameworks.
- RSE (Ross-shire Engineering): RSE is a Scottish-based specialist water and wastewater engineering contractor delivering mechanical, electrical, and process solutions to UK water utilities including Scottish Water. It is a direct peer of Stonbury in the specialist water infrastructure delivery space.
Broad incumbents
- Costain Group: Costain is a major UK infrastructure group with a large water division serving Severn Trent, Anglian Water, United Utilities, and Thames Water. It operates as a broader incumbent across multiple sectors (transport, energy, water) and competes with Stonbury for major water framework contracts.
- Kier Group: Kier Group is a UK-listed infrastructure services and construction group with a Utilities division providing water network services. As a Tier 1 incumbent, it overlaps with Stonbury on water infrastructure maintenance, civil engineering, and framework delivery.
- Skanska UK: Skanska UK operates across infrastructure, buildings, and utilities including water and wastewater projects. As a global Tier 1 contractor, it competes with Stonbury on larger water infrastructure schemes while serving a much broader portfolio of public and private clients.
- Galliford Try: Galliford Try is a UK-listed construction group with an Environment division serving water utilities and the Environment Agency on flood defence and environmental works. It overlaps with Stonbury on environmental and water infrastructure delivery as a broader incumbent.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Stonbury social profiles
Digital presenceStonbury compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance8 records
Stonbury financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Stonbury leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles19 records
Stonbury subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Stonbury funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Stonbury M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Stonbury
What does Stonbury do?
Stonbury is a UK water and environment sustainability specialist that delivers specialist maintenance, refurbishment, enhancement and creation services for water and wastewater infrastructure assets. The company serves UK water companies, the Environment Agency and local authorities through framework agreements, with capabilities spanning potable water assets (reservoirs, water towers, treatment works), wastewater systems (storm tanks, reedbeds), and nature-based environmental solutions (fish passes, river restoration, wetlands). Advanced inspection and cleaning capabilities are delivered through its wholly-owned subsidiary Panton McLeod using ROVs and drones.
Is Stonbury a public or private company?
Stonbury is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Stonbury founded?
Stonbury was founded in 1983. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Stonbury based?
Stonbury is headquartered in Bedford, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Stonbury make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Water Infrastructure Services are the primary driver. The others are wastewater Infrastructure Services, environmental/Nature-Based Solutions and advanced Inspection and Cleaning.
Who are Stonbury's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Morrison Water Services (M Group), Barhale, Clancy Group, MWH Treatment (J. Murphy & Sons), Binnies (RSK Group) and RSE (Ross-shire Engineering). Broad incumbents are Costain Group, Kier Group, Skanska UK and Galliford Try.
Does Stonbury have an API?
No public API is recorded for Stonbury.
What industry is Stonbury in?
Stonbury's product category is Water Infrastructure Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAFAGAE, Storage & Conveyance Structures (Reservoirs, Tanks, Culverts, Tunnels), with a secondary code of BPALAMAL, Stormwater Management & MS4 Compliance Services. Its NAICS code is 221310 and its SIC code is 4941.