News & Media > Waterways Services
10:05:2011
North Wales flood alleviation scheme receives national CCS award
The Considerate Constructors Scheme is a national initiative, set up by the construction industry to improve its image. Sites and companies that register with the Scheme are monitored against a Code of Considerate Practice, designed to encourage best practice beyond statutory requirements.
Considerate Constructors Scheme Annual National Site Awards are only given to the highest scoring 7.5% of sites. From some 8,500 eligible sites across the UK, just 670 received a Bronze, Silver or Gold Award.
The Conwy Flood Alleviation Scheme received a Bronze Award, including ‘exceptional achievement' status in the scheme's categories of ‘Environment' and ‘Neighbour'.
The scheme was delivered for the Environment Agency by the Team Van Oord Joint Venture, which comprises Van Oord, May Gurney and Mackley.
The project centred on the town of Llanrwst and the village of Trefriw in the Conwy Valley, North Wales, which are located adjacent to the Snowdonia National Park in a valley noted for its outstanding scenery.
Llanrwst is also designated as a conservation area by Conwy County Borough Council and is the major market town in the valley and a centre for trade and shopping. The area has strong links with the agricultural community and there is a thriving weekly livestock market.
Post construction river flooding in November 2010, January and February 2011 has given ample opportunity to prove the scheme successful in the protection of homes and businesses with the utilisation of the additional upstream flood area storage.
After these incidents the local Member of Parliament, Guto Bebb, MP for Aberconwy, wrote to the Environment Agency to say: “I am delighted that the Conway Valley Flood Alleviation Scheme prevented significant flooding of properties in Llanrwst and Trefriw.
“I congratulate your efforts to protect properties in my constituency. I also applaud the work of your staff and the excellent co-operation with other agencies which contributed significantly to minimising the extent of the damage suffered as a result of the weather conditions.”
Robert Biggs, chairman of the Considerate Constructors Scheme, said: “In an economic climate in which our industry continues to face numerous challenges, it is a pleasure to be able to recognise and reward the outstanding achievements of this year's award winning sites.
“The Scheme's National Site Awards are an opportunity for us to recognise and reward the outstanding levels of performance witnessed by our monitors in 2010. I would like to take this opportunity to personally congratulate all of this year's winners for their continued hard work in ever improving the working practices of UK sites.”
Click here to read more about the Considerate Constructors Scheme.
The construction works at Trefriw included :
• The construction of the flood bank at Trefriw.
• A cut and fill operation to lower and reprofile 1400m of existing flood banks.
• The construction of livestock retreat pads in the newly created flood plane.
• The landscaping of a terraced playground.
• The informalization and creation of wetland habitat from the borrow pit.
• The creation of a drained football pitch.
• The construction of a road over the Trefriw Flood Bank.
The works at Llanrwst, which took place in a conservation area and adjacent to a scheduled ancient monument and listed river wall, comprised:
• Re-profiling of the busy A470 near the centre of the town.
• Bauer demountable barriers
• RC flood walls clad with natural stone
• Dutchdam demountable barriers (first installation in the UK).
The scheme was affected by a number of environmental constraints including:
• The Gwydir Forest Mines Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC).
• The Pont Fawr Bridge in Llanrwst scheduled ancient monument (SAM).
• The river walls in Llanrwst designated as listed structures.
• Numerous archaeological finds in both Llanrwst and Trefriw.
• Tree Preservation Orders (TPO) within the site boundary.
• Footpaths, Public Rights of Way and highways within the site boundary.
• Invasive plants, Japanese Knotweed and Himalayan Balsam.
