NEC projects again shine at 2020’s online British Construction Industry Awards

In the eight project category awards, NEC-procured projects won three, those procured with JCT and bespoke contracts won two each and GC Works won one. In the six of seven initiative awards that related to a project, NEC-procured projects won three while PPC2000, JCT and bespoke won one each.

Project awards

In the project awards category, Climate Resilience Project of the Year went to the Bacton to Walcott coastal management project, a £20 million sandscaping scheme in Norfolk, UK. Procured in September 2019 by North Norfolk District Council, Shell and Perenco using Engineering and Construction Contract (ECC) Option C (target contract with activity schedule), the work involved building a 5.7 km long, 7 m high sand dune to protect the Bacton gas terminal complex and nearby villages from further coastal erosion.

Morecambe Catchment Strategy in Lancashire won the Utility Project of the Year. Procured by United Utilities using NEC3 ECC Options A (priced contract with activity schedule) and C in December 2020, the £52 million project has significantly reduced storm overflows into Morecambe Bay in Lancashire – the UK’s largest expanse of intertidal mudflats and sand.

The Wave, Bristol won the Cultural and Leisure Project of the Year. England’s first artificial surfing lake was procured in November 2019 by The Wave Group using ECC Option A. The 25 million scheme’s 40 electrically driven paddles generate 1,000 waves an hour up to 2 m in height in the 200 m wide by 180 m long concrete-lined lagoon.

Finally in the project category, Highways England’s newly finished £924 million A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme, procured using ECC Option C, was highly commended for the Transport Project of the Year.

Initiative awards

In the initiative awards category, the ‘carbon skyline’ plan of the ECC Option C Kilo Apron Development Substructure at Heathrow airport in London won the Environment and Sustainability Initiative of the Year. Manchester University’s ECC Option A Unsworth Park student accommodation development won the Community Engagement Initiative of the Year, while Yorkshire Water’s Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations hazard assessment, which was let using ECC Option E (cost-reimbursable contract), won the Digital Initiative of the Year.

Finally in the initiatives category, the operations control centre of Highways England’s ongoing £848 million M4 junctions 3 to 12 smart motorway scheme, procured using ECC Option C, was highly commended for the Producitivy in Construction Initiative. Case studies of all NEC-procured winning schemes will be published on the NEC website and in the newsletter in due course.