A scheme which has significantly reduced flood risk to thousands of properties on the West Sussex coast has been awarded a Bronze National Site Award from the Considerate Constructors Scheme.
The Shoreham Adur Tidal Walls Scheme, officially opened in March 2019, was presented with the accolade at a ceremony in London on 4 April.
The Shoreham scheme was carried out by Mackley, working as part of Team Van Oord and on behalf of the Environment Agency, Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership, Adur District Council and West Sussex County Council.
The Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) was founded in 1997 by the construction industry to improve its image. Construction sites, companies and suppliers voluntarily register with the Scheme and agree to abide by its Code of Considerate Practice which focuses on three main categories: the general public, the workforce and the environment.
The CCS National Site Awards recognise construction sites where exceptional standards of consideration are shown towards local neighbourhoods and the general public, the workforce and the environment.
Winning a National Site Award is an exceptional achievement only given to sites that have made the greatest contribution towards improving the image of construction.
Designed to last for 100 years
Construction of the new 7.2km tidal defences in Shoreham began in September 2016, as many of the old defences came to the end of their useful life.
The new defences cover 1.8km on the east bank of the River Adur between Coronation Green and the A27 road bridge – and 5.4km on the west bank between the river mouth and the A27 road bridge.
They are formed of embankments, sheet pile walls, rock revetments, flood glass, and property level protection, and are designed to last for 100 years – though have been built so that they can easily be further raised after 50 years if necessary.
The project also involved improving the public footpaths along the route of the defences, and approximately 1.4 hectares of compensatory saltmarsh habitat have been created.
More awards’ success on the way?
The Shoreham scheme has also been shortlisted for a coveted Construction News Awards, recognising the project team’s success in integrating with the local community.
For more than two decades, the Construction News Awards have showcased the very best schemes and companies in the construction industry, and have become one of the most prestigious awards in the sector. Gaining recognition through the awards is considered a badge of excellence among clients and peers.
The Shoreham scheme has been nominated in the ‘Community Engagement’ category, where it is competing against projects carried out by other civil engineering companies including Kier and Balfour Beatty.
The 2019 Construction News Awards ceremony takes place at Grosvenor House Hotel in London on 11 July.
10 April 2019
