Multi award winning, East Midlands based civil and structural engineering specialists, BSP Consulting, has been crowned winner in the ‘Best New Project’ category at the East Midlands Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) Awards 2026.
‘On Freedom’s Wings’, is a 29-metre-high art installation and life-size statue of a Lancaster Bomber designed by BSP Consulting in collaboration with the Bomber County Gateway Trust. It honours the Royal Air Force crews of World War II and Lincolnshire’s and Nottinghamshire’s aviation heritage.
IStructE is the largest international community of structural engineers. Its members commit to upholding the highest standards and are recognised around the world for their professionalism, technical excellence and strong ethical principles. The annual regional awards recognise outstanding structural engineering in the East Midlands.
BSP Consulting Managing Director, Carl Hilton said: “It is a fantastic achievement for the team to have won the Best New Project at the East Midlands’ IStructE Awards. The IStructE is a global benchmark of technical excellence and innovation within the built environment and to be recognised by the judges in this way is a tremendous honour and testament to the professionalism and technical capabilities of our team.
“Having been involved from the start, we’re incredibly proud to see it develop and for it to receive the recognition it deserves. We are pleased to now be providing transport planning and consultancy on the next phase, which includes creating the infrastructure for a dedicated car park and visitor centre to bring the experience to more people. We’re working closely with the Bomber County Gateway Trust team to make it a truly special visitor destination that can be appreciated by many generations to come.”
After more than eight years of planning, design and fundraising, the statue has touched hearts around the world and has been continually praised for its construction quality, design integration, continuous innovation, sustainability and functionality.
It is the second project award in as many months for the BSP team, after taking home the Tourism & Leisure Project of the Year trophy in the Greater Lincolnshire Construction and Property Awards 2026.
Members of the wider team also included Timmins Engineering and Construction, Hutchinson Engineering Services, William Hare Ltd and Jessops Construction.
The awards were presented at the IStructE East Midlands Region Annual Dinner in March 2026.
The project is now being entered into the IStructE national awards, where it will compete against civil and structural engineering projects from across the UK.
For more details on BSP Consulting’s civil and structural engineering services visit: https://bsp-consulting.co.uk/.
