Eight firms named for £2.6bn flood defence works
Four civil engineering contractors and four consulting engineers have been selected as framework suppliers for the Environment Agency's £2.6bn capital investment programme.
Building coastal defences
The Environment Agency’s Next Generation Supplier Arrangements (NGSA) are designed to improve value for money and come into effect this month.
The new replaces the Environment Agency’s Water & Environment Management (WEM) framework.
Under the new framework, England is divided into five regions, and to each region is assigned a civil engineering contractor and a consulting engineer. Some firms have more than one region.
The new suppliers are:
Northeast hub - Ove Arup & Partners, BAM Nuttall
Northwest hub – Jacobs UK, Volker Stevin
Midlands hub – Ove Arup & Partners, Jackson Civil Engineering.
Eastern – Jacobs UK, BAM Nuttall
Southwest hub – Atkins, Kier Integrated Services
Southeast hub – Jeremy Benn Associates, Volker Stevin
Between them, they will be delivering a £2.6bn programme of works that aims to better protect 300,000 homes from coastal erosion and flooding.
The NGSA arrangements run for an initial four years, through to 2023, with the opportunity to extend to 2027.
Toby Willison, executive director of operations at the Environment Agency, said: “This ambitious new framework will help us to continue to deliver our £2.6bn flood and coastal defence programme in a way which ensures that sustainability, efficiency and value for money remain at the very heart of the work we do to protect people, homes and the environment.”
VolkerStevin managing director Rob Coupe said: “We are delighted to have been appointed by the Environment Agency to its collaborative delivery framework. This is our fourth framework with the EA and we are looking forward to the transition from the WEM framework, and to helping the EA successfully achieve its ongoing flood and coastal erosion risk management goals.”
Will McBain, associate director, Arup, said: “With the ever more frequent threats posed to people and the environment by climate change, the work of the Environment Agency in driving adaptation has never been more important. Being appointed to provide the consultancy services required in two regions gives Arup a unique opportunity to help the Agency to deliver its corporate objectives more efficiently and effectively. We look forward to working in close collaboration with Agency staff, our supply chain partners, local communities and all those with a stake in the capital programme, to deliver the objectives of NGSA.”