BAM Nuttall wins £23M Hull flood defence deal

Leading construction and engineering company BAM Nuttall has been awarded a £23M contract for a major flood defence scheme in Hull. The company, working in joint venture with Mott MacDonald, will carry out vital work to design and build new defences at several locations along the River Hull, as well as upgrading the existing defences.

The work will help ensure the existing river defences continue to reduce the risk of flooding in the city, which suffered severe flooding in 2007 after prolonged rainfall.

Paul Ellis, operations manager for BAM Nuttall’s North of England office, said: “Kingston-upon-Hull at present has safeguards that provide a 1-in-200-year standard of protection. It’s vital that we continue to ensure a good standard of maintenance, while building additional new protection, to stop the city flooding.”

Located within a 7.5 km stretch, 39 hard defences will be repaired by BAM after extensive surveys showed some of the defences are now in need of repair or replacement.

As part of a £36.5M scheme by the Environment Agency (EA), the BAM Nuttall Mott MacDonald Joint Venture (BMMJV) will protect around 45,000 properties in Hull from flooding.

Neil Longden, EA flood risk manager, said: “This scheme is brilliant for the people of Hull. Not only will it ensure much relief to the many residents whose homes are at risk of flooding but will kick start new developments and economic growth along the river corridor.”

BMMJV was appointed to the project through the EA’s Water and Environment Management (WEM) Framework under a two-stage tendering process.

New defences will utilise combi sheet pile wall, undertaken using marine plant, while concrete will be used to restore existing defences.

Work is planned to begin in spring 2017, with planned completion scheduled for autumn 2019.