Avonmouth and Severnside Ecology Mitigation and Flood Defence Project
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South West People’s Choice Award 2024
Voting is now closed but you can explore the shortlisted projects below. The winner will be announced at the gala ceremony in Bristol on Thursday 24 October 2024
Avonmouth and Severnside Ecology Mitigation and Flood Defence Project
The project spans 17km along the Severn Estuary from Aust in South Gloucestershire to Shirehampton in Bristol. The area is at risk of tidal flooding, which will increase with sea level rise.
The new works include 5850m of raised earth embankments, 2500m of sheet piled walls, 600m of in situ reinforced concrete walls, 2300m of precast reinforced concrete walls and eight improved outfalls along the estuary.
Over 80 hectares of new wetland has been created, equivalent of 112 football pitches. This new habitat provides ecological mitigation to ensure that economic development does not adversely affect the area’s internationally important wildlife species.
Over 2,500 homes and businesses will benefit from this project, mitigating the impact of sea level rise for at least the next 60 years. By enabling new commercial development, the scheme will unlock 12,000 new jobs and deliver an estimated £3.9bn of economic benefits in the local area.
Project cost
- £100m
Key project partners
- South Gloucestershire Council
- Bristol City Council
- Environment Agency
- BAM Nuttall Mott MacDonald JV
Cumberland Road Stabilisation
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Cumberland Road Stabilisation
In January 2020, a 50m section of harbour wall collapsed alongside the New Cut, an artificial waterway constructed in the 19th century to divert the River Avon. The failure disrupted the start of stabilisation works to protect Cumberland Road, a vital transport corridor to Bristol city centre.
The project had been planned to accommodate a possible failure to the buried harbour wall, so when the Victorian structure collapsed, the works were quickly re-designed to enable the swift resumption of the scheme.
The scheme has enabled Cumberland Road to be re-opened to a full suite of transport modes, including important bus and cycle routes serving local residents and businesses, as well as acting as a commuter route.
The popular Chocolate Path riverside walkway has been restored and the scheme provides for the future reinstatement of the historic Bristol Harbour Railway.
Project cost
- £9.3m
Key project partners
- Bristol City Council
- Jacobs
- Alun Griffiths
- Currie & Brown
Exmouth Offshore Horizontal Direction Drilling
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Exmouth Offshore Horizontal Direction Drilling
As part of a major investment programme to modernise the sewerage system and protect the shellfish waters of the Exe Estuary, South West Water needed to instal a new marine outfall pipe at Exmouth in Devon.
The project involved difficult horizontal drilling next to a Blue Flag beach at one of the UK’s largest caravan parks and involved working 24/7 to instal 804m of pipe in a 13-week window during the winter, in an operation which would usually take 10 months.
One of the world’s largest and most powerful drilling rigs was brought in from the USA to complete the UK’s longest ever forward reaming operation (pushing the pipe from land). Despite the intensive nature of the challenge, the team completed the works ahead of time, on budget and with no safety or pollution incidents.
The project is a key element in delivering the wider programme to reduce the use of storm overflows to no more than 10 significant spills per year and help protect bathing and shellfish waters.
Project cost
- £10.5m
Key project partners
- South West Water
- GallifordTry
- Peter McCormack & Sons Ltd
- VanLeewen Trenchless Technology
- Pipe Force
Keynsham Memorial Park Bridge
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Keynsham Memorial Park Bridge
The old timber footbridge over the River Chew at Keynsham Memorial Park in Bath had been closed to the public since 2019 after an inspection found it was unsafe, cutting off a popular walking route for the local community.
A new deck structure was designed using innovative lightweight polymer material that allowed the existing bridge abutments to be retained, saving carbon and reducing costs.
By removing the need for a central pier, the new design clear spans the river, increasing the capacity of the river channel for future flooding events.
The new 15m-span footbridge is an elegant, low-carbon addition to a much-loved community park, restoring a circular, leisure walk, connecting play areas and linking the park to the town.
Project cost
- £300k
Key project partners
- Bath & North East Somerset Council
- Curtins
- Lifespan Structures
- Volker Laser
- Robbin Engineering
Lower Otter Restoration Project
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Lower Otter Restoration Project
The community and ecosystem of the Lower Otter Estuary in East Devon faced growing challenges due to sea level rise and extreme storms, driven by climate change. Human modification of the estuary had disrupted nature and created an unsustainable system that was unable to adapt.
Working with local people and partners, the project reinstated natural processes, including reconnecting the river, estuary and floodplain, and delivering a more sustainable landscape, rich in wildlife. Infrastructure such as roads, footpaths, water company assets and cricket facilities, were relocated out of the flood plain or adapted.
The project has created 55 hectares of internationally important saltmarsh and mudflat habitat by reconnecting the river to its historic floodplain, benefitting wildlife and the local community.
Just months after opening, the site has been designated as a National Nature Reserve.
Project cost
- £27m
Key project partners
- Environment Agency
- Clinton Devon Estates
- Jacobs
- Kier
Lydney Harbour
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Lydney Harbour
Lydney Harbour in Gloucestershire is more than 200 years old and scheduled as an ancient monument. In 2015, the outer sea gates failed in the open position, making the harbour unnavigable.
The project involved a complex operation to remove 6m of silt within a very short timescale, while protecting sensitive local habitats and endangered species within the Bristol Channel estuary.
The site has now been restored to its former use as a safe and navigable harbour, enjoyed by thousands of people throughout the years.
Lydney Harbour is loved by the local community and the project had to deliver a solution that was good value for money despite a wide range of constraints.
Project cost
- £2.1m
Key project partners
- Environment Agency
- Jackson Civil Engineering
- Centregreat Engineering
- JD Marine and Sons
- KingLifting
Parsons Tunnel Rockfall Shelter Project
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Parsons Tunnel Rockfall Shelter Project
Brunel’s iconic railway along the coast at Dawlish serves communities in Devon and Cornwall but the line is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including rockfall onto the line.
As part of Network Rail’s South West Rail Resilience Programme, the project involved building a 110m-long protective shelter. Using innovative techniques and a travelling gantry-crane system, precast components were constructed on a site constrained by the sea, a tunnel and steep cliffs.
The structure has been designed to withstand a five-tonne boulder falling 30m from the adjacent cliff face, which is the equivalent to the weight of an adult Asian elephant. The shelter will protect a crucial rail link connecting more than 50 towns and cities in the region for generations to come.
As well as implementing carbon reduction assessment measures, the scheme achieved a biodiversity net-gain target of over 10%, including vegetation to encourage the natural habitat of the rare Cirl Bunting.
Project cost
- £42m
Key project partners
- Network Rail
- Arup
- Morgan Sindall Infrastructure
Portway Park and Ride Station
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Portway Park and Ride Station
Portway is the first new train station in Bristol for 96 years. It aims to support growth for Bristol and the wider region by improving access to Avonmouth and Temple Quarter Enterprise Zones, where 31,000 jobs are expected to be created in the coming years.
The project is a trailblazer in rail construction using innovative design and delivery methodology. Use of a trackside crane from the adjacent car park meant precast concrete units were each lifted into position in under 5 minutes, allowing for efficiency and reduced disruption.
Many materials were procured locally, and by-products were reused in and around the station footprint. Biodiversity was a key consideration with bat boxes to encourage wildlife and investment in the latest station lighting that automatically dims out of hours.
The new station offers an additional transport option for 9,000 people working in the surrounding area. Free parking, low-cost fares and frequent direct services to Bristol city centre make it an attractive option for commuters and families. More than 33,000 journeys have been made from the station since opening, meaning fewer cars and lower carbon.
Project cost
- £5.8m
Key project partners
- Network Rail
- West of England Authority
- Bristol City Council
- Dyer & Butler
Saints Trails Project: Perranporth to Goonhavern
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Saints Trails Project: Perranporth to Goonhavern
Abandoned railway lines dating back to Cornwall’s mining past are being transformed into a network of paths, linking the coastline with Truro, for walkers, horse riders and cyclists.
The project used eco-friendly materials and landscaping techniques to reduce environmental impacts and enhance biodiversity, including 2km of 'no dig' construction, from Cocks Village to Goonhavern, to preserve the historic rail ballast, minimising ecosystem disruption. The scheme also included two new bridges.
The Saints Trails network is one of the largest ever cycling infrastructure investments in the South West. It preserves Cornish heritage, boosts local economies, attracts tourists, and provides new business opportunities.
Locals and visitors can enjoy the benefits of safer travel across a beautiful part of Cornwall, which includes the former Perranporth to Chacewater railway line.
Project cost
- £7.1m
Key project partners
- Cornwall Council
- Cormac Solutions Ltd
- Tazika
- CEC
- CTS Bridges
Saltford Water Recycling Centre Access Road Scheme
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Saltford Water Recycling Centre Access Road Scheme
Saltford Water Recycling Centre treats sewage and wastewater from Bath. The site has been earmarked for expansion to meet the needs of future population growth. But to enable this development, a new access road was required to take construction traffic.
The new access route passes through greenbelt land, home to a number of protected species and located within a flood zone. A key aim of the project was to minimise the impact to this sensitive environment.
Centred around three new ponds, the scheme provides new habitat for amphibians, invertebrates, mammals and wetland birds, resulting in more than 55% biodiversity net gain.
The road scheme includes a single span bridge over the River Avon for lorries as well as a pedestrian crossing to connect local communities. The new road will reduce traffic flows through the nearby village of Saltford, reducing congestion while improving access to the water recycling centre.
Project cost
- £8.9m
Key project partners
- Wessex Water
- AtkinsRéalis
St Austell Bay Resilient Regeneration (StARR)
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St Austell Bay Resilient Regeneration (StARR)
Perennial flooding has affected Par and St Blazey in Cornwall for many years, including particularly significant flood events in 2010 and 2012. As part of a catchment-based response, the project aims to improve resilience and flood protection for the area.
Interventions included a mix of nature-based solutions, such as attenuation ponds, a retrofitted rain garden and a land management plan, alongside more traditional measures, including raising flood defences and installing storage tanks underneath a car park.
The project has delivered flood protection to more than 600 homes, safeguarding around 900 jobs for the next 25 years. Additionally, amenity access and recreational facilities has been improved for the local community, including opening up St Andrew’s Wetland Reserve to the public.
Environmental enhancements and biodiversity measures included insect-friendly grass seed mixes and Salix coir rolls producing instant results on riverbank reinstatements. Thirty species-specific bird boxes were installed, and cycle racks and benches were made from felled trees.
Project cost
- £30.9m
Key project partners
- Environment Agency
- Cornwall Council
- Mott MacDonald
- AtkinsRéalis
Tintern Wireworks Bridge Strengthening and Refurbishment
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Tintern Wireworks Bridge Strengthening and Refurbishment
Built in the 1870s to provide a rail link to the site of Britain’s first wire mill, the bridge over the River Wye connects Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire and is a popular route for walkers and cyclists. However, due to the deterioration of the historic structure major repairs were needed to secure its long-term future.
The project used the historic fabric of the existing structure in combination with modern engineering to camouflage the modern steel deck within the existing footprint of the bridge. This allowed the existing girders to be retired, only working as parapets.
A major achievement was in overcoming significant buildability challenges and site logistics. As the bridge is a moiety structure, split between England and Wales, all consents, permits, and licenses had an added complexity.
The project has increased the design life of this culturally important bridge by another 120 years, ensuring connectivity for local communities and promoting tourism and its economic benefits.
Project cost
- £2.2m
Key project partners
- Gloucestershire County Council
- AtkinsRéalis
- Volker Laser
- Monmouthshire County Council
People's Choice award sponsor
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