Claire Lynch

Said the following about Simon Sterry:

“Simon Sterry from Network Certification Body (NCB) was appointed as the ‘Independent Body’ on the reopening of the Lea Bridge Station in London, to assess that the scheme was compliant with the Common Safety Method (CSM) process and all the relevant safety standards.

Having someone approachable, friendly, knowledgeable and always available to help us work our way through this project was invaluable. With Simon’s expert help and guidance I believe he saved us 3 to 6 months off the length of the programme as a whole.

The reopening of Lea Road station has been a high profile project and some DfT funding was made available, initially reliant on a specific project end date, so timing was critical. The station could only open once the correct safety compliance certification was granted and Simon’s role was to review the evidence we submitted and assure the necessary safety considerations had been taken into account, from design through to operation and maintenance plans.

From the very beginning it was obvious Simon was not taking the traditional ‘Independent body’ approach. He helped the team understand which parts of the project needed to be compliant and which standards were applicable. Simon’s expertise and ability to crystallise and succinctly verbalise exactly what the project required, meant that we were able to recognise and gain agreement from Network Rail Approvals Panel and the DfT, that the scope of the safety requirements was less than initially thought and therefore the scheme was re-categorised as not significant. Simon’s input to this was absolutely instrumental in gaining us time on the project.

Although we were Simon’s customer, being an independent body meant it would've been easy for him to stand back and let us do all the work and come to him at the end for his assessment. But Simon doesn’t work that way, he didn't want to wait till the design was completed and then ‘pick holes in it’ he was all about helping us to get it right at every stage.

Whilst maintaining his independence, which is essential to his role, he went above and beyond for us. He was proactive, he made sure he understood what we wanted to achieve and offered clear help and guidance as to what he expected and needed from us to ensure our project was safety compliant.

His thorough, yet flexible and interactive way of working meant that all applicable standards and safety codes, both UK and European were double checked and fully covered. Ben Ward, Scheme Project Manager added “Simon has been a great supplier to the team with his knowledge and ability to break down standards and requirements to a level that the team can understand and digest. Simon is always very positive and always has time for the team regardless of his other duties/ workload and has helped others in the Anglia team throughout his time with us, helping people understand the new CSM and Interoperability process which has been invaluable.”

Simon’s conscientious approach has meant that - even after he completed his work for us - his contribution continued to be a significant part of the success of the next stages of the project. His outstanding customer service meant he had covered all the bases for us.

Since then, Simon has been appointed the ‘Independent Body’ on another station scheme at Hackney Wick, on which we’re receiving the same proactive, and approachable customer service. I look forward to working with him on future schemes.“

Paul Jackson

Said the following about Simon Sterry:

“I have recently been using Simon’s team as Independent Assessor for the early stages of the East West Rail Phase 2 scheme development.

While I have only met with Simon once, dealing more frequently with members of his team, I know that Simon does oversee matters, even from a distance, and has ably contributed promptly when input is requested.

I am relatively new to the world of CSM requirements. I feel that the level of friendly, professional support given, albeit impartial (as one would expect) is top class. The team do well and deliver outputs to the timescales promised, even when the customer has asked for shorter timescales than would be the norm. It is clear that Simon’s objective is to offer a job well done, have precision and clarity on the detail and in keeping the customer well informed at all stages of the mission.

Legislation compliance could be viewed as a tedious task but instead, Simon and his team, do make the subject matter interesting and discuss the subject with a flair of enthusiasm, knowledge and a good understanding. They should be commended.

My experience so far with Simon and his team has been very good and they are a credit to the organisation they work for.“