£5.2 billion programme of flood defence construction schemes underway.

Last Updated:

8th August 2022

Billions of pounds worth of flood defence construction work is welling up as spending rolls out on the Government’s £5.2 billion programme of flood and coastal alleviation schemes in England between 2021 and 2027.

The investment is part of the Government’s Flood and Coastal Erosion Investment Plan. This programme is providing better protection for 336,000 homes through the construction of 2,000 new flood and coastal defences across England.

Glenigan’s construction market research has identified many of these schemes ranging from a £3 million scheme in Taunton (Project ID: 22263516) to the £56 million Rochdale and Littleborough Flood Risk programme (Project ID: 21540809).

Agency delivery

Many of those projects are delivered by the Environment Agency through its Next Generation Supplier Arrangements, which have three strands.

Projects valued at up to £250,000 are procured through the Agency’s flood and coastal risk management operational framework.

Schemes from £250,000 up to £50 million are delivered through a Collaborative Delivery Framework. This agreement, which runs until next year but includes the possibility of a four-year extension, involves six regional teams comprising a contractor and consultant (see below).

Recent projects agreed through this section of the Agency’s framework include a £9.6 million scheme at West Kirkby on the Wirral, where VolkerStevin recently started work (Project ID: 16091845).

Environment Agency Collaborative Delivery Framework

Region	Contractor	Consultant
Eastern	BAM Nuttall	Jacobs
Midlands	Jackson	Arup
North East	BAM Nuttall	Arup
North West	VolkerStevin	Jacobs
South East	VolkerStevin	Jeremy Benn
South West	Kier	Atkins

Source: Glenigan

The third strand of the Agency’s procurement is for projects valued at £50 million or above and are procured independently. One of the biggest flood defence schemes in the pipeline is the £1.5 billion Lagoon Hull Project. This will provide improved sea defences through the creation of a lagoon and also includes a new 11-km southern relief road (Project ID: 19381679).

Scottish prospects

In Scotland, a host of flood protection projects are also moving forward. These range from an £800,000 scheme at Kinross on Tayside (Project ID: 22224195) to East Lothian Council’s plans to spend £50 million on the Musselburgh Flood Protection Scheme, which has been the subject of a recent public consultation (Project ID: 21534403).

The appointment of a contractor on the £27 million Millport Flood Protection Scheme is imminent according to Glenigan with work due to start this Autumn (Project ID: 16423740).

Elsewhere, Dawson Wam was recently confirmed as contractor on a £9.3 million flood protection scheme at Campbeltown in Strathclyde and will start work this month (Project ID: 20253081).

Welsh pipeline

In Wales, the Welsh Assembly agreed in March to provide £214 million for flood protection work over the next three years.

Schemes are already coming on stream. Denbighshire Council gave planning permission on July 13 for the Central Rhyl Coastal Defences Scheme to protect 2,500 homes (Project ID: 21058712). Balfour Beatty will start work early next year working with Jeremy Benn Associates.

A £12 million plan to provide coastal protection for the Mumbles in Swansea is also in the procurement pipeline after securing planning permission (Project ID: 21464653).

As summer ends and another winter looms, spending on flood protection is being pushed through across Britain and is providing a swathe of opportunities for contractors.

Glenigan customers can see details of all new flood defence construction work if part of your subscription.

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