Balfour Beatty has been awarded a £47m contract by the Waveney, Lower Yare and Lothingland Internal Drainage Board to deliver flood and coastal defences near Benacre in Suffolk.
Awarded through the SCAPE framework, the project will provide sustainable flood risk protection to the A12 road, Parkdean Holiday Park, 35 homes, 46 businesses and 600 hectares of valuable farmland.
Balfour has been tasked with replacing the existing Benacre Pumping Station, which was originally built in 1955 but has now exceeded its lifespan and is at significant risk of coastal erosion.
It will use modular construction techniques to build the new pumping station structures off-site so that the existing pumping station can continue to operate before being decommissioned.
In addition, the company will construct a new embankment across the Lothingland Valley to manage tidal flooding and build a smaller pumping station along the embankment to manage fluvial flooding.
An intertidal channel will also be created between the new embankment and the coastline, forming a new intertidal habitat area. Balfour said this 'will help deliver 82 hectares of valuable habitat to support migratory and breeding farmland birds, waterfowl, and seabirds'.
Peter Mumford, managing director of Balfour Beatty’s regional civils business, said: 'Drawing on our extensive experience and expertise, we will deliver this scheme to the highest standard, providing long-term protection for the Suffolk coastline and the people who depend on it.'
Enabling works commenced in the spring this year, with main construction due to begin later in the year. Completion is planned for 2030.
