Councillors will be asked next week to approve the appointment of Wates Construction to deliver the £15.5m fourth phase of the Broughty Ferry flood protection scheme. They will also be asked to back the appointment of Morgan Sindall for just over £6m-worth of work as part of the redevelopment of Dundee Waterfront.
Wates has been selected through the Scape Framework procurement route, which the council said offered advantages including competitive tender prices, using expertise from an early stage and maximising the local supply chain’s opportunity to be involved.
Mark Flynn, depute convener of the council’s city development committee, said: “It is crucial that we not only ensure effectiveness and value for money when delivering flood protection for our coastal communities but also that any scheme is attractive and in keeping with the buildings and streetscape around it.
“We recognise that flood protection works can be an emotive subject, so a considerable amount of preparation work has gone into finding the best solutions to make sure people and properties are protected, with the minimum loss of amenity.”
Using the Scape framework, the specification and design of the flood protection scheme was produced by McLaughlin & Harvey design consultants and the council’s in-house structural and civil engineering teams. The tender price was built up using open-book tendering for all work packages, with contractually fixed management fees, overheads and profit for the lead contractor. Work is expected to start early next year and take two years to complete.
Morgan Sindall’s project, which involves the creation of Waterfront Place adjacent to the V&A Dundee, could start early in the New Year if councillors back the contract award. Flynn said: “This is a very high profile and tangible piece of the waterfront development jigsaw that will be in place by spring of 2021. It will offer an interesting and innovative space right next to the estuary for the people of the city and visitors of all ages to use for leisure activities.”
The work, which is expected to take around 18 months to complete, comprises the construction of hard and soft landscaping areas, an urban beach, decorative water feature and a new active travel/low-carbon hub building.
In September, the council launched an open design competition looking for initial proposals to develop a space that brings art, technology and play together within Waterfront Place. Seven tender submissions were received and early next year a further report is expected to be brought to the committee to approve the appointment of a contractor to develop their detailed design.
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