The Bill Ward Award is presented to the project best demonstrating the principles of sustainability, i.e., social, economic, and environmental benefits during delivery and on completion.
In 2020 Carmarthenshire County Council appointed Atkins to undertake a condition survey and produce a works strategy to safeguard the 3 listed historic harbours. Griffiths were appointed as Principal Contractor to undertake the works.
The 3 harbours comprise 1500m of masonry vertical walls and revetments, which had fallen into disrepair and collapse since its heyday transporting coal in the 1800’s.
The fully integrated Griffiths and Atkins teams worked hand in hand with the Council to deliver the scheme to a fixed budget, within programme to the complete satisfaction of historic port custodians Cadw.
Project Director for Atkins Consultants, Derek Fenn commented “With harbour conservation works, you don’t really know what you are going to find until you take walls down and see the full state of repairs needed.
“Atkins prepared a handbook of sympathetic repair solutions, which could be called on depending on the actual conditions found. This meant the site team was able to manage diligently the almost daily variations in repair techniques.
“It was remarkable that the nine months construction took place during COVID19 lockdowns with 2m social distancing maintained on site. If we couldn’t get materials delivered in time, we varied the design to keep the site team working.”
The project has safeguarded the historic masonry fabric for communities and visitors, whilst providing a safe harbour for the marina vessels. It is also the start of a waterside frontage for the Council’s vision to transform the harbour into a dynamic living, leisure, and work hub for future generations.
Carmarthenshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Leisure, Culture and Tourism, Cllr. Gareth John said: “We are delighted that Burry Port Harbour has won the prestigious ICE Wales Bill Ward sustainability award as it reflects the scale and complexity of the project. The team undertook this work during the COVID-19 pandemic and circumstances were very challenging, however, we were delighted when it was successfully completed on time and within budget.”
Griffiths Project Manager Leighton Rees said, “It was a privilege to work on this project, restoring the heritage of Burry Port for future generations gave the whole team a sense of pride at a time where the world was facing uncertainty.”
Watch this video to find out more about the Burry Port project!
