The Environment Agency is seeking two marine specialists to deliver routine and unplanned beach maintenance works to reduce the risk of coastal flooding for residential and commercial properties
The framework encompasses all coastal frontages under England’s jurisdiction and is scheduled to commence in May 2026.
It will span six years with the possibility of a two-year extension, concluding in May 2034.
The value is estimated to be between £469,000,000 and £1,227,166,000.
The CPV classifications are as follows:
• 45200000 – Works for complete or part construction and civil engineering work
• 45244000 – Marine construction works
• 45243000 – Coastal-defence works
• 45243400 – Beach-consolidation works
• 45246400 – Flood-prevention works
• 45246000 – River regulation and flood control works
• 45240000 – Construction work for water projects
• 45246410 – Flood-defences maintenance works
• 71500000 – Construction-related services
• 45243500 – Sea defences construction work
• 45243200 – Breakwater construction work
• 71300000 – Engineering services
The procurement documents are available at the DEFRA website here.
Moving stones for dry homes
The maintenance work includes moving shingles from areas of accretion to areas of erosion, as well as evenly redistributing the shingles along the sea to improve flood protection.
Further work will be undertaken to import marine dredged or land-based shingle to coastal frontages to compensate for lost material, and to maintain or repair coastal defences and structures.
This will not only enhance readiness for floods in extreme weather events but also streamline the emergency response services’ ability to respond effectively.
The beach cleanup framework comes as flood risk is higher than ever
In September last year, the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) released a statement saying that the UK’s flood preparation needs a lot of work in the face of flood events caused by climate change.
Around the same time, DEFRA also released a statement saying the same, with science and technology secretary, Peter Kyle, saying: “Flooding and droughts can devastate UK communities, from leaving people stranded, to destroying homes, gardens, roads and businesses, and even claiming lives.
“With climate change sadly making extreme weather events more common and adding an eye-watering cost to the economy, there is no time to waste in backing our researchers and innovators to ensure we are better prepared for floods and droughts striking.”
Simon McWhirter, deputy chief executive officer at UKGBC, said: “It’s reassuring to see the government getting to grips with the heightened flood risk looming for so many communities and businesses; not just this autumn, but as an escalating issue in the coming years.
“People are rightly concerned about what the future holds, but the current National Adaptation Plan has left us woefully underprepared for the storms ahead.
“This government has inherited very little by way of plans for protecting existing buildings, or ensuring new developments and planning policy keep us safe. This Taskforce will need to help the Government arrive at a much more strategic and comprehensive plan to address flood hazards, while making sure that the most vulnerable and least able to pay for individual flood defences are protected.
“UKGBC is already convening experts from across the sector to develop a UK Climate Resilience Roadmap for the built environment and with specific recommendations for government action on flooding, overheating, wildfires and other risks. Industry and government will need to act decisively together to prepare for the major climate impacts that are sadly now inevitable.”
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