Blackpool Coastal Protection Project

Topics Covered

Project Team

Project Overview

Project Management

Review & Comment

Project Team

Joint Venture:

Blackpool Borough Council

Birse, Civil engineering contractors

Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)

Project Overview

A £3m coastal protection project, which will shield Blackpool’s shoreline into the next century.
Acting as a leading example of a new approach to building, the project has embraced the Rethinking Construction ethos early in its development with help and advice from CCI.

Project Management

The Project demonstrates that:

• choosing a contractor based on the quality of its bid, not lowest cost, is cheaper when long-term overheads are considered;

• significant savings can be made by taking into account all aspects of quality, health and safety, buildability and risk from the outset;

• a 52-week contract can be completed in 42 weeks by using the team approach from day one;

• a saving of at least £75,000 can be made on the £3m project.

Review and Comment

“..an excellent example of how the construction industry is now working more successfully to give Britain buildings and infrastructure which will last.”

“By simply encouraging communication between everyone involved in the construction process from day one, delays and cost overruns can be avoided.”

“This is particularly important in the case of schools, hospitals and other key public projects, where major savings can be made for the taxpayer.”

“Clients should spearhead the whole process to make sure buildings and structures are tailor-made for their long-term needs. Designers, engineers and contractors in turn need to adapt to these changing demands and be ready to give advice based on the long-term needs of their client, not the lowest-cost option, which has so often created problems during construction and left Britain with infrastructure that doesn’t last.”
Brian Wilson, MP

Figure 1. Brian Wilson, Minister for Energy and Construction talking to Mark Farrah, Regional Director, Birse Civils, with Antony Hill, Principle Engineer Coastal Defences, Blackpool BC in the background

Source: Centre for Construction Innovation

             Press Release 2002

For more information on this source please visit www.cci.com