VolkerStevin has won a ‘Silver' Green Apple Award which recognises its outstanding sustainability practices on the Central Felixstowe Coastal Protection Scheme.
The award, which was accepted by representatives of the project team at the House of Commons, praised their innovative measures to ensure that the project was run in a sustainable way with minimal impact on local residents.
The £9.35m project, awarded to VolkerStevin by Suffolk Coastal District Council, safeguards nearly 1,500 homes from coastal erosion. It involved the construction of 18 rock groynes, ramps, beach steps, rock revetment, walkway maintenance and the recharge of parts of the beach.
The active engagement of the team in finding innovative solutions for the disposal of waste meant that all concrete from the groynes (nearly 7,600 tonnes) was recycled on site. The concrete from the old groynes was broken down on site to a suitable grading size and used as fill material within the new rock groynes and to build up levels within the revetment works.
In addition, all the new materials were imported by sea via marine barges and then moved to site using the beach as a haul road. This avoided the need to send loaded vehicles through the town centre with the accompanying noise, pollution, the inevitable wear and tear on the local roads, as well as the associated carbon footprint.
A Public Information Centre was set up at the entrance to the compound to allow local residents to drop in and find out more about the scheme. VolkerStevin deployed a full-time public liaison officer to run the centre and to act as first point of contact for local residents.
″We're delighted to be presented with this award, it reflects our on-going commitment to sustainability. The project team's efforts and engagement were outstanding and everyone on the team should be proud of the successful results they have achieved.″
Rob Coupe Managing director at VolkerStevin
The Green Apple Awards, which have become established as the country's major recognition for environmental endeavour among companies, councils and communities are organised by The Green Organisation. To win the award, VolkerStevin competed against more than 500 nominations. As a result of its success, VolkerStevin has been invited to publish their winning paper in The Green Book which focuses on environmental best practice.
