Team Van Oord is shortly due to start work on the new £30m Exeter flood defence scheme which will reduce flood risk to approximately 3,000 homes and businesses throughout the city.
Team Van Oord is a Joint Venture partnership between Van Oord, Kier, Mackley Construction and Royal HaskoningDHV.
The scheme will cost approximately £30 million with a contribution of £3 million each from Exeter City Council and Devon County Council plus £6 million of government growth funding. The remainder will be financed from flood defence grant in aid.
Team Van Oord has won the contract for phase 1 of the work which will include deepening the existing flood relief channel, lowering the spill weir at the top of Trew’s flood relief channel and removing a ‘check weir’ at the bottom of the channel. The works will increase the flow capacity of the main flood channel.
Other improvements include the construction of a meandering stream through the centre of the flood relief channel, construction of fish passes on Trew’s weir plus a low level pedestrian access across the middle of the flood relief channel.
George Arnison for the Environment Agency said:
Work on phase 2 is planned to start in Autumn 2015. Designs for the second phase are still being finalised.
The Environment Agency and its partners, Devon County Council and Exeter City Council, will also be holding a series of public exhibitions to seek people’s views about the designs for phase two of the scheme between 11 July and 19 July at various locations around Exeter.
Cllr Andrew Leadbetter, Devon County Council Cabinet member for Economy and Growth said:
“Public consultation played an important part in informing the initial stage of this project which is vital to our city’s homes and businesses. We are hoping for an equally positive response to these further consultation events.”
With the UK government demanding a 50% reduction in storm overflow spills by 2029, the era of reactive management is over. Speaking in the House of Commons on 21 July 2025, then environment secretary Steve Reed said, “This Government will cut water companies’ sewage pollution in half by the end of the decade.”
ERG, the leading supplier of odour control systems and industrial gas cleaning & thermal systems, has been awarded the coveted King’s Award for Enterprise.
Welsh Water’s new artificial intelligence-driven tool, ORAI, has been shortlisted for three categories at the prestigious British Data Awards 2026 – underscoring the company’s commitment to using cutting-edge technology to deliver better outcome for customers.
Barhale has completed work on two separate Rapid Action Taskforce Spills projects it is carrying out for Severn Trent.
Hear how Scottish Water has completed its £235 million Ayrshire Glasgow Resilience Project - customers across Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire and East Renfrewshire will now benefit from a more secure and resilient water supply.
Hear how United Utilities is accelerating its investment to reduce spills from storm overflows across the Northwest.
Find out more about the remarkable career opportunities on offer at WSP - scroll down to watch the inspirational video.