Elgin flood alleviation scheme commended at engineering awards
Moray Council’s flood alleviation scheme in Elgin has scooped a top engineering award.
At the 2016 Saltire Civil Engineering Awards in Edinburgh this week, the project received a commendation for delivering a range of benefits to the local community and businesses.
The integrated project team consisted of Moray Council, Royal HaskoningDHV, Morrison Construction and cost consultants Arcadis.
The awards, which recognise engineering excellence, innovation and achievements in Scotland, were held at the National Museum of Scotland on Tuesday 25 October.
The commendation reads:
“The project demonstrates the benefits of a fully integrated project team working together under a target cost contract. In addition to their primary objective of alleviating flooding in Elgin, the team’s collaborative approach and attention to detail has enhanced the river corridor through the town and helped deliver a range of social, economic and environmental benefits to the local community and businesses. A well thought through project providing a modern and pleasant civil engineering solution which is environmentally and visually pleasing and well finished.”
The Elgin scheme was Scotland’s largest ever flood scheme and was one of five such projects across Moray totalling £178million.
The Elgin scheme has helped to transform the physical and social environment thanks to a new 6km cycle way between Lhanbryde and Elgin, new footpaths and other recreational facilities. The project has also incorporated the renewal of roads and bridges.
Chair of Moray Council’s Flood Alleviation Sub-committee, Councillor George Alexander, was at the awards event to receive the commendation on behalf of the council. He said: “There is no doubt that the Elgin project, like others that have been successfully completed on time and under budget in Moray, has made a huge impact on people’s quality of life.
“Not only has the threat of flooding been drastically reduced in their homes, but their environment has been made more pleasing and a number of facilities created for enjoyment of the area.
“I congratulate the team that have steered these schemes to completion, and I’m pleased to see their work recognised in this way by receiving a commendation in the highly esteemed Saltire Civil Engineering Society awards 2016.”
Moray Council area stretches from Tomintoul in the south to the shores of the Moray Firth, from Keith in the east to Forres in the west. The council and its 4,500 employees respond to the needs of 95,510 residents in this beautiful part of Scotland, which nestles between Aberdeenshire and the Highlands.
Famous for its colony of dolphins, fabulous beaches and more malt whisky distilleries than any where else in Scotland, Moray is a thriving area and a great place to live.
Headquartered in Elgin, the administrative capital of Moray.