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Balfour wins £47m Suffolk flood defence contract
Cristina Lago Deputy Editor
Benacre Beach in Suffolk (Image: Chillingworths via Dreamstime.com)
The Waveney, Lower Yare and Lothingland Internal Drainage Board has awarded Balfour Beatty a contract to deliver new flood and coastal defences near Benacre, south of Kessingland in Suffolk.
The £47m scheme involves the provision of flood risk protection to the A12 road, Parkdean Holiday Park, 35 homes, 46 businesses and 600 hectares of farmland.
Balfour Beatty will 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.
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The contractor will also build a new embankment across the Lothingland Valley to manage tidal flooding, as well as an additional, smaller pumping station along the embankment to manage fluvial flooding.
An intertidal channel will be created between the new embankment and the coastline to provide a habitat for migratory and other birds.
Aerial view showing proposed layouts of embankments, new river and breach (Image: Balfour Beatty)
Offsite manufacture
The company will use modern methods of construction 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.
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 started in spring 2025. Main construction is due to begin later in the year, and completion is planned for 2030.
The November/December 2025 issue of Construction Management magazine is now available to read in digital format.
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