The all-conquering *Medmerry Managed Realignment Scheme has begun 2015 in the same vein as it ended 2014 – in the frame for a clutch of prestigious industry awards.
During 2014, the scheme, which was delivered by Mackley working as part of Team Van Oord, scooped no fewer than a remarkable 13 industry awards.
The £28m project, which involved the construction of four miles of new sea walls to reduce the flood risk to hundreds of properties on the West Sussex coast, has been the subject of universal acclaim since it opened in November 2013.
Now it has been shortlisted in three categories of the RICS Awards 2015, which showcase the most inspirational regional initiatives and developments in land, property, construction and the built environment.
The Medmerry scheme has been shortlisted in the following categories: ‘community benefit’; ‘design through innovation’; and ‘infrastructure’.
Maurits den Broeder, Chairman of Team Van Oord, said: “We are naturally delighted that Medmerry’s success has continued into the New Year.
“The RICS Awards celebrate the talents of surveyors, property developers, engineers, planners and architects across eight categories, each demonstrating how professionals use their skills to develop, regenerate and conserve the environment in which they live and work.
“We look forward to the presentation ceremony on 14 May.”
*Medmerry Managed Realignment Scheme
The Medmerry scheme, which has been hailed as a gold standard of flood defence in the UK, has created a new wetland for local wildlife to flourish and much of the site is now managed by the RSPB as a nature reserve.
Of all the accolades it has received to date, perhaps the most prestigious came at the 2014 British Construction Industry (BCI) Awards ceremony in London on 8 October. The scheme, which was described on the night as “groundbreaking” and “innovative”, received two awards – including the top award of the night, The Prime Minister’s Better Public Building Award, which is sponsored by The Cabinet Office.
The Medmerry scheme joins an elite group of previous winners which includes the Tate Modern and the Velodrome at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.