Utilities and infrastructure consultancy secures backing from MML Capital. 23 Sep 2026, 07:15 A Bicester-headquartered utilities and infrastructure consultancy has partnered with MML Capital, an international mid-market private equity investor, to accelerate the next phase of the business' growth across the UK and Ireland. Dalcour Maclaren (DM) acts exclusively for the utilities and infrastructure sector to deliver planning and environment consents, land assembly, geospatial expertise and stakeholder engagement. The B Corp-certified consultancy employs 750 people across 19 offices and has supported delivery of nationally critical utilities and infrastructure projects Gatwick Northern Runway, Sizewell C Nuclear Power Station, HS2, Hornsea Offshore Wind Farm Projects and the Great Grid Upgrade. The strategic investment, for an undisclosed sum, comes as demand for DM's specialist services accelerates amid a step-change in UK infrastructure spending: water sector investment has more than doubled to £104bn for 2025-2030 (AMP8), up from £51bn in the previous cycle, while electricity transmission investment for 2026-2031 (RIIO-T3) has risen to £69bn, from £11bn. The partnership follows a period of strong organic growth for DM, which has created more than 250 new roles in the past 12 months alone. The investment will support continued focus on attracting and developing great people, including through the consultancy's apprenticeship and graduate schemes. It also supports broadening the services DM provides to clients, expanding its geographic reach and investing further in technology and data. MML will provide capital and support for selective acquisitions where they bring talented people, strengthen existing services or add capabilities that clients increasingly need. James Neil, chief executive at Dalcour Maclaren, said: "Over the past 23 years, we've built DM into the business it is today, achieving around 20% growth year after year. From the beginning, our plan has been to find the right investment partner at the right time to help us achieve our ambitions faster and better support the increasing needs of our clients. "MML stood out as a natural choice. They understand our market, our values and the unique approach that sets us apart. We're excited to welcome MML into the DM ONETEAM. Their experience and expertise will help us accelerate our growth while staying true to what has made us successful. "We've built an exceptionally strong and loyal client base, and this investment is about becoming an even stronger business for them. It will allow us to broaden our expertise, continue to innovate and invest in our services, and ensure we keep delivering a number one service to our clients that is always pushing to the next level. "We know this partnership will put us in a fantastic position for the next exciting stage of our journey." Mike Reynolds, a partner at MML, added: "MML is focused on true partnership investments, backing exceptional teams in market-leaders to enable them to build global powerhouses. "DM is a case in point - a great business with an excellent reputation in markets that service a significant need in the UK and beyond. What really stood out to us was the mission critical nature of the services provided, by high-quality people who really care and the strength of DM's client relationships - many of which go back more than a decade. "James and the team have already invested significantly in the business and have a clear plan for where they want to take it next. Our job is to support them in delivering that plan - helping DM continue to attract great people, broaden what it can do for its clients, invest in technology and make acquisitions where they add something genuinely valuable." Mike Reynolds and David Collins from MML have joined The DM Board. A new chairperson will be appointed in due course. DM was advised by Osborne Clarke, CIL, RSM and Arrowpoint. MML was advised by Winston Taylor, Alantra, KPMG and Queens Tower.

MML Capital backs UK infrastructure consultancy Dalcour Maclaren in growth deal. Dalcour Maclaren is a Bicester, UK-based consultancy that secures land, planning and environmental consents for major utilities and infrastructure projects, including HS2, Sizewell C and the Gatwick Northern Runway expansion. 1 hour ago

Dalcour Maclaren launches data centre site-selection service to cut developer risk. Dalcour Maclaren has launched a data centre service, led by Rebecca Kaye, to help developers navigate site selection, planning and power connections as demand for digital infrastructure surges. Dalcour Maclaren has launched a data centre capability aimed at helping developers identify sites, reduce project risk and progress the delivery of digital infrastructure. The service will be led by Rebecca Kaye, Associate Director, who has experience supporting the development and delivery of major infrastructure projects, including data centres. Demand for digital infrastructure has grown, driven by artificial intelligence, cloud computing and increasing data requirements. Developers face pressure to secure suitable land, obtain power connections and navigate the planning landscape, following the Government's decision to classify data centres as Critical National Infrastructure and extend the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) regime to eligible schemes. Dalcour Maclaren's new capability has been developed, the company says, to help clients address these challenges through an integrated land strategy. Using spatial analysis and GIS technology, the company's Geomatics team combines land surveying, property and infrastructure data to assess potential sites against criteria including proximity to electricity infrastructure, fibre connectivity, planning constraints and land ownership. By combining its Land & Property, Environment & Planning, Geomatics and Stakeholder Engagement teams, Dalcour Maclaren says it provides an evidence base from the early stages of a project, with the aim of identifying constraints and opportunities sooner. The launch builds on Dalcour Maclaren's experience supporting nationally significant infrastructure projects across the energy, transport, water and digital infrastructure sectors.