Balfour Beatty today announces that it has been awarded a contract by the Waveney, Lower Yare & Lothingland Internal Drainage Board to deliver new flood and coastal defences near Benacre, south of Kessingland in Suffolk.
The contract, valued at £47 million, has been awarded through the SCAPE framework and on completion, will provide sustainable flood risk protection to the A12 road, Parkdean Holiday Park, 35 homes, 46 businesses and 600 hectares of valuable farmland.
The project will see Balfour Beatty replace 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. In addition, the company will construct a new embankment across the Lothingland Valley to manage tidal flooding as well as build an additional, 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. This will help deliver 82 hectares of valuable habitat to support migratory and breeding farmland birds, waterfowl, and seabirds.
Balfour Beatty will utilise modular construction techniques to build the pumping station structures offsite in a controlled factory environment, so that the existing pumping station can continue to operate before being decommissioned and removed. This technique will also significantly reduce carbon emissions by minimising the number of lorry movements and material deliveries to and from site.
As part of its commitment to leaving a lasting, positive legacy in the communities in which it operates, the company has committed to hiring two local, ex-armed forces employees through Balfour Beatty’s Military Talent Pathway. The Pathway launched in 2022 to provide structured support for career changers with transferable skills, helping them transition into key roles within the company.
Peter Mumford, Managing Director of Balfour Beatty’s Regional Civils business, said: “We are proud to be delivering this vital flood defence scheme which once complete will safeguard critical infrastructure, local communities, and the environment.
“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 Spring 2025, with main construction due to begin later in the year and completion is planned for 2030.
ENDS
All non-media related enquiries should be directed to +44 (0)20 7216 6800 or info@balfourbeatty.com
Notes to editors:
- Balfour Beatty is a leading international infrastructure group with 27,000 employees driving the delivery of powerful new solutions, shaping thinking, creating skylines and inspiring a new generation of talent to be the change-makers of tomorrow.
- We finance, develop, build, maintain and operate the increasingly complex and critical infrastructure that supports national economies and deliver projects at the heart of local communities.
- Over the last 116 years we have created iconic buildings and infrastructure all over the world. Currently, we are working to deliver Hinkley Point C, the first UK nuclear power station in a generation; constructing the world-class arts and cultural facility, the Lyric Theatre, in Hong Kong; and designing, building, financing, operating and maintaining the Automated People Mover superstructure at the fifth busiest airport in the world, Los Angeles International Airport.
- Balfour Beatty’s UK Construction Services business is underpinned by three distinct business units and three leading experts in their disciplines: Regional Civils, Regional Buildings and Regional Scotland.
- Our Regional Civils business unit focuses on providing essential infrastructure such as transportation and flood defences whilst our Regional Buildings business unit focuses on the construction of integral buildings including hospitals and schools.
Image: Aerial view showing proposed layouts of embankments, new river and breach
