The Environment Agency has completed the second stage of af a major £42.9 million Norfolk flood defence project better protect over 2,100 homes in Great Yarmouth from flooding.

Most of Great Yarmouth’s flood defences are supported by steel and concrete quay walls along the rivers Yare and Bure. These are generally over 50 years old and are reaching the end of their design lives. The improved flood defences will support the economic growth and development of Great Yarmouth, which has the potential to support 34,000 jobs and bring £1.5 billion to the economy.

Epoch 2 is the second part of a five-phase programme by the Environment Agency to improve flood defences in Great Yarmouth over the next 40 years. It follows on from Epoch 1 which concluded in 2017 after installing 630 metres of sheet pilling and refurbishing a further 85 metres.

Construction work began in September 2019 and has focused on 40 flood defence walls covering approximately 4km. Epoch 2 focussed on refurbishing these assets where possible to extend their life for the next 30 to 50 years. This reduced both the carbon footprint and the cost of the work.

The Environment Agency used an innovative technique to improve a section of the defences in the residential area of Cobholm. A silent pile press was used to push the steel piles in instead of traditional techniques to minimise the impact on communities and the historic Grist Mill.

A total of 2,115 properties are better protected because of the work which has extended the defences’ life for the next 30 to 50 years accounting for climate change predictions.

With climate change in mind the project designed out lots of carbon and continued to use innovative construction techniques to further reduce it. In total, the project saved over 18,900 tonnes of carbon.

The project also trialled the use of hybrid power, combining a generator and battery to power the welfare facility for the final 10 months. This reduced fuel consumption by 24,000 litres leading to the equivalent of 65 tonnes of carbon dioxide not being emitted.

The completed works will help to protect communities living in Great Yarmouth.

Tom Stanley, project manager for Epoch 2 said:

“We know the devastating impact that flooding can have on communities like Great Yarmouth. So, protecting people and communities through projects like Epoch 2 is our top priority.

“We are already seeing the impacts of climate change in the UK and around the world, which is why urgent action is needed to adapt the impacts of climate emergency.

“We’re working towards ways of reducing flood risk that also reduce our carbon emissions helping us to reach net zero by 2030. Projects refurbishing existing flood defences and extending their life contribute to this, through less use of new and carbon intensive materials.”

Plans for the next stage of the programme, known as Epoch 3, are currently in progress with the business case being developed.

Significant contributions to the project were made by the Local Enterprise Partnership, Norfolk County Council, Great Yarmouth BC, Dept for Education, Anglian Water and Highways.

The project won the British Construction Industry Awards 2021 in the category of Environment and sustainability initiative. It was shortlisted at the 2022 British Construction Industry Awards in the category of Temporary works initiative. In March 2023 the project won the inaugural Defra Group Project Delivery Profession Awards in the category of ‘Environmental Sustainability in Project Delivery’.