Property consultancy Pick Everard has joined forces with Balfour Beatty to deliver a new crossing over the UK’s third-longest river.
The scheme for Nottingham City Council will see a dedicated pedestrian and cycle bridge constructed over the Trent, connecting the Lady Bay area south of the river with the Trent Basin waterside housing estate on the north side.
Balfour Beatty has been appointed as the principal contractor via SCAPE’s Civil Engineering Framework, while Pick Everard has been appointed to deliver project management and quantity surveying services through the SCAPE Consultancy Framework.
Feasibility studies have been completed ahead of a planning application in the early summer and alongside work to ‘pinpoint the exact location of the proposed structure’.
Government funding of £9.275m was secured through the Transforming Cities programme during the design conception stage.
However, the cost has now risen to approximately £12m, including contingency, which Nottingham said is ‘in part due to changes to the design, further clarity on the construction processes and inflation’.
Matt Hall, national director at Pick Everard, described the appointments as ‘a significant milestone’.
He said: ‘The council is investing time and money into making Nottingham a more sustainable place to live and work, and we’re excited to be supporting the journey with our multi-disciplinary expertise.’
Jon Kiteley, area director for Balfour Beatty’s regional civils business, said: ‘Utilising our experience in active travel schemes, including new pedestrian and cycling routes, we look forward to delivering this new crossing, connecting the people of Nottingham.’
Audra Wynter, Nottingham City Council’s portfolio holder for highways, transport and parks, said: ‘Encouraging more sustainable, lower carbon journeys is an important part of our plan to achieve Carbon Neutral Nottingham 2028.’
Rushcliffe Borough Council leader Simon Robinson said the council was supportive of the project, ‘subject to an independent planning process for its construction on the Rushcliffe banks of the Trent’.
He said: ‘The bridge will create further links between Rushcliffe and the city, providing the opportunity for improved access, and a sustainable alternative to dependency on car use, to employment and recreational opportunities on both sides of the river.’
