The Wirral Coastal Strategy identified that ongoing erosion at the base of Wallasey Embankment required intervention in the short term. If erosion continues the embankment, which protects large areas of Meols, Moreton and Leasowe from flooding from the sea, would be weakened with an increased risk of failure. An Outline Business Case to reinforce the toe of the embankment has been approved and grant aid secured. A procurement exercise has also been completed to allow for construction of the reinforcement works with a programme that complies with Planning Consent conditions and Marine Licence conditions.

Resolved – That

(1)  the Environment Agency’s Grant in Aid Award of £1,358,000 be accepted.

(2)  a contract be awarded to Jones Bros Ruthin (Civil Engineering) Co Ltd with a value of £721,277.52 for the delivery of the Wallasey Embankment Toe Reinforcement Scheme.

The Shoreline Management Plan for the Wirral coast was approved by the Cabinet in September 2010. The Shoreline Management Plan identifies a Hold the Line Policy for Wallasey Embankment until 2110. The Wirral Coastal Strategy, approved at Cabinet in October 2013, identified that a Hold the Line Policy could be delivered addressing ongoing erosion at the base of the embankment in the short term.

An Outline Business Case was developed in 2021 and determined the preferred option for reinforcing the base of the embankment was by extending existing rock protection by 1100m. The Outline Business Case, which provides grant aid of £1,358,000 was approved by the Environment Agency’s Area Flood and Coastal Risk Manager in March 2022.

Acceptance of the grant award from the Environment Agency provides the budget for the delivery of the scheme in entirety.

Prior to development of the Outline Business Case applications were made for Planning Consent and a Marine Licence. A Marine Licence is required for all construction works that take place below Mean High Water Spring Tides (MHWST) and is provided by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) following consultation. Planning and licence conditions only allow for construction between the months May to August.

Following approval of the Outline Business Case in March 2022 tender documentation was developed in order to undertake a procurement exercise that once concluded, would allow for construction within the period set by the planning and marine licence conditions.

Award of the contract to Jones Bros Ruthin (Civil Engineering) Co Ltd of the value £721,277.52 allows for delivery of the scheme in this financial year and in accordance with conditions that have been set to protect the natural environment.

The scheme to protect the base of Wallasey Embankment extends the existing rock armour protection in the vicinity of Leasowe Lighthouse a further 1100m eastwards. The rock armour protection was determined as the preferred option following consideration in the Outline Business Case which included:

Do Nothing This option was assessed as the baseline for economic assessment and rejected as it did not meet Flood Defence Grant in Aid (FDGiA) Investment Objectives or any Critical Success Factors (CSF).

Do Minimum – Maintain Existing Pile Toe Protection Page 22 This option does not address the potential for undermining, weakening and failure of Wallasey Embankment and was rejected because it did not meet FDGiA Investment Objectives and a number of CSFs.

Do Something – New Concrete Apron This option was found to be technically challenging as construction would require a cofferdam to be in place. This option was rejected because it did not meet FDGiA Investment Objectives and a number of CSFs.

Do Something – New Sheet Pile Toe This option was shortlisted for further consideration as like, the extension of existing rock armour protection it was found to accord with all FDGiA Investment Objectives and a number of CSFs. Upon further appraisal however it was found to have greater capital cost risk and overall greater capital cost. It was therefore rejected on economic grounds.

Consideration was also given to the method of procurement. The use of the Environment Agency’s Collaborative Delivery Framework was considered however given the relatively simple design of the rock revetment it was considered that there were insufficient opportunities to build in construction and design efficiencies. The preferred procurement route was therefore identified as a traditional tender with bidders chosen from Constructionline, with the most economically advantageous tender winning the bid.