AECOM’s new division has already secured a number of deals and is targeting commercial and residential construction work between £5m and £40m.

One major contractor said: “I’m all for diversification but this is a bit of a weird one.

“Surely they are now competing with the same firms who they are trying to get as clients?”

A statement from AECOM said:  “We have recently added a UK construction arm to our list of services to support us in delivering construction services to our clients, and to lead our design and build offering in a targeted manner within the UK commercial and residential market.

“Each offering is designed to respond to clients’ preferred method of contracting and is determined by our ability to provide a differentiated offer.

“Recently we have been successful in expanding our UK construction business by securing a number of project awards from clients we have an established relationship with and have served elsewhere previously.

“This repeat business model is recognition of the services we provide to clients around the world and an endorsement of our ability to serve clients with excellence.

“We will continue to serve our developer, contractor and infrastructure client base both as a consultant and as a contractor depending on the needs of the project and our clients’ preferred method of procurement.”