14 Nov 2006

(Issued jointly with the Environment Agency)

A £9.5 million Environment Agency flood defence scheme, which protects 660 homes in Bishop Auckland, has scooped its third prestigious award.

The River Gaunless project team, which includes the Environment Agency, Interserve Project Services (Contractor) and Halcrow Group (Designer) was awarded the national Institution of Civil Engineers' (ICE) Brunel Medal 2006 in recognition of their valuable service and achievement within the Civil Engineering Industry.

Ian Hodge, the Environment Agency's area flood risk manager, said: "The award recognises the very hard work by everyone on the team including our contractors and designers. But most importantly we are grateful for the co-operation and support of the residents in taking forward the scheme in such a short timescale.

"We're delighted that the tireless efforts of our partners to complete the works as quickly as possible has won another award for the scheme, and that it is now doing its job protecting the people of West Auckland and South Church."

The scheme, which reduces the flood risk from the River Gaunless and its tributaries, was brought forward after the 2000 floods.

John Vyse, executive director of Interserve Plc, also welcomed the award, saying; "This project has been a success in every way. We worked extremely hard to get the dam built and the working defences in place and it is very pleasing to receive this award as recognition of a job well done."

The River Gaunless Flood Alleviation scheme, funded by Defra, protects homes and businesses in West Auckland and South Church.

The most important part of the scheme is a 15-metre-high dam upstream of Spring Gardens in West Auckland that works by storing water during flood conditions then releasing it slowly through devices know as 'hydrobrakes'. It can store up to a million cubic metres of water, forming a kilometre-long lake behind the dam.

The dam was built reusing as much on-site material as possible to reduce the number of lorry deliveries and to cut the environmental impact and disturbance to the local community. This is estimated to have saved 12,000 lorry deliveries of clay.

As well as civil engineering work, over 32,000 trees and shrubs were planted and an 11-hectare site near Spring Gardens is currently being transformed into a valuable wildlife wetland habitat, with reedbeds, ponds and water meadows. An abandoned railway line was transformed into a 2.4 kilometre nature and exercise trail, with benches, viewing points and grassy seating areas.

The team received the award at the annual ICE award ceremony, which took place at the ICE's George Street building in London. Earlier this year the scheme was awarded the Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE) Robert Stephenson Award, and it was also awarded the National Green Apple Gold Award for Environmental Construction Best Practice in 2005.