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Flood prevention scheme wins top engineering accolade18th May 2011
Civil engineering firm Jones Bros has been awarded a top accolade following successful completion of a coastal defence scheme in a flood-hit mid Wales town – and for winning the hearts of the townsfolk.
The £7.6m Tywyn Coastal Defence Scheme won the ‘Highly Commended’ Award in the prestigious Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) awards held in Cardiff.
The year-long scheme, to combat severe storm damage to the coastal frontage, proved a hit with townsfolk, culminating in 300 people signing a ‘petition of thanks’ to Jones Bros.
Local people praised the ‘professionalism’ and ‘expertise’ of the family-run company who kept the local community fully informed every step of the way.
ICE award judges made special mention of this, stating: “There can be few civil engineering schemes where the local population present a ‘petition of thanks’ to the contractor.”
Jones Bros accepted the award jointly with client Gwynedd Council, the Gwynedd Consultancy, who project-managed the scheme and designer Atkins.
John Dielhof, contracts director at Jones Bros, said: “We are delighted to receive this commendation and particularly pleased that special mention was made of the ‘petition of thanks.’
“This was a terrific project to work on and we are really proud of the positive relationship we forged with the people of Tywyn from the outset and as the project progressed.
“We are very grateful to them for acknowledging our work in this way. We recognised that this project would have a huge impact on the town, which is very dependent on tourism, and we worked hard to keep any disruption to an absolute minimum.
“Initiatives included opening a round-the-clock visitor centre and recruiting beach marshalls to provide information and help.”
The coastal improvement work was necessary to prevent further erosion and damage to the town’s sea defences and to help ensure its prosperity as a popular tourist destination.
The Tywyn Coastal Defence Scheme was one of several engineering schemes across Wales recognised by the Institution of Civil Engineers Wales Cymru Awards held at Cardiff’s Marriott Hotel. The annual awards recognise excellence in concept, planning and design, contract management and construction.