Project record

Sidmouth and East Beach coastal defence scheme

Conceptual aerial visualization of Sidmouth and East Beach with an indicative offshore rock breakwater, terminal rock groyne and beach recharge

IMWO artist's impression of the published Sidmouth and East Beach coastal defence scheme scope

East Devon District Council has selected Boskalis Westminster as preferred supplier for the Sidmouth and East Beach coastal defence scheme after six valid bids. The GBP 18.911242 million award is structured as a two-stage NEC4 Engineering and Construction Contract, Option C, with X22 Early Contractor Involvement. Stage 1 covers modelling, detailed design, consultation, planning, consents and construction drawings; Stage 2 is an option for construction rather than an already authorised works commitment. The indicative Option 6 scope combines beach recharge, one or more offshore rock breakwaters or submerged features, a terminal rock groyne, splash-wall and flood-gate changes, River Sid interfaces and improved access.

Project signal

Award in United Kingdom

Current status East Devon selected Boskalis Westminster on 30 June 2026 for a GBP 18.911242 million two-stage NEC4 Option C contract; the 6 July notice still marked the award and contract pending, with standstill to 16 July and future signature scheduled for 17 July, and no later contract-details notice, Stage 1 start or construction commitment is yet published Source confidence Confirmed

Location

United Kingdom / Europe

Segment

Two-stage coastal flood and erosion defence, beach recharge and offshore rock works

Status

East Devon selected Boskalis Westminster on 30 June 2026 for a GBP 18.911242 million two-stage NEC4 Option C contract; the 6 July notice still marked the award and contract pending, with standstill to 16 July and future signature scheduled for 17 July, and no later contract-details notice, Stage 1 start or construction commitment is yet published / Confirmed

Last checked

3 August 2026

Coverage

Related sectors

Two-stage coastal flood and erosion defence, beach recharge and offshore rock works is the primary work classification. Related sectors connect this record to adjacent marine delivery and market coverage.

Subject index

Related subjects

These subject pages bring together related projects, technical articles, reports, and evidence methods.

Project anatomy

Contract scope and delivery roles

Client / authority
East Devon District Council, with Environment Agency flood-defence grant funding and local authority contributions
Delivery parties
Boskalis Westminster Limited - selected lead designer and delivery partner under the pending two-stage NEC4 award, Royal HaskoningDHV - outline business-case and earlier scheme-design consultant; no current delivery-contract role inferred, Rock quarry, beach-fill source, marine plant, survey, modelling, environmental, planning, temporary works and specialist subcontractors - publicly unnamed
Contract route
East Devon used an open procedure for a single NEC4 Engineering and Construction Contract, Option C target cost, incorporating X22 Early Contractor Involvement. The tender weighted quality at 60% and price at 40%. Six valid final-stage bids were recorded from Boskalis Westminster, Alun Griffiths, Herbosch-Kiere Marine Contractors, Kier Integrated Services, Knights Brown and Wills Bros Civil Engineering. The authority selected Boskalis on 30 June 2026 at GBP 18,911,242 excluding VAT, but the 6 July release still classified both award and contract as pending, with standstill ending 16 July and signature planned for 17 July.
Execution window
The award release gives a planned contract period from 20 July 2026 to 29 March 2030. That period is a procurement schedule, not proof of signature or commencement. Stage 1 is intended to develop modelling, detailed design, statutory consultation, planning and consents before a break-point decision on Stage 2 construction. No current notice confirms contract signature, Stage 1 mobilisation, planning submission, marine licence, detailed geometry or Stage 2 instruction.
Works package
Develop the approved Option 6 outline into a consented, buildable coastal-defence scheme. The indicative interventions are beach renourishment at Sidmouth and East Beach; a terminal rock groyne; one or more offshore rock breakwaters or alternative submerged wave-attenuation features; splash-wall replacement or future-proofing; flood-gate and access upgrades; River Sid training-wall and flood-wall interfaces; and related professional services. The 2023 outline described a roughly 120-metre East Beach super-groyne, but final number, length, orientation and levels remain subject to Stage 1 modelling, consultation and approvals.
Marine interfaces
The delivery partner must reconcile beach sediment transport, offshore and nearshore rock structures, dredged or imported recharge material, the River Sid mouth, existing 1990s defences, heritage seafront assets, cliff recession and active beach access. The tender identifies marine ground investigation, fishermen's equipment, offshore and nearshore movements, storm exposure, beach-level fluctuation, SSSI assent, Crown Estate rights, MMO licensing, Natural England and Environment Agency consents as explicit interfaces and risks.
Commercial evidence boundary
GBP 18.911242 million is the selected award value excluding VAT, while GBP 21.04 million is the tender estimate and GBP 20 million is the earlier whole-scheme funding envelope. The council's 2 July 2026 freedom-of-information response said zero contract-works expenditure had occurred because the procurement remained pre-award at that point. The later selection closes the preferred-supplier gate, but not contract signature, Stage 1 fees paid, construction option exercise, certified production or final account.

Project timeline

Material developments

Dated events that changed scope, counterparties, delivery, commissioning or operating status.

Open this project in the Change Log

Find a Tender published the Boskalis award decision

The notice records Boskalis as selected supplier at GBP 18,911,242 after six valid bids, while keeping both award and contract pending and scheduling a 17 July signature after standstill.

Source

Council said no contract-works expenditure had yet occurred

East Devon's FOI response recorded zero spent on contract works while the procurement remained pre-award, establishing a clean pre-award commercial baseline.

Source

Cabinet delegated authority for a two-stage award

The resolution authorised officers to award after evaluation and described Stage 1 design, modelling, consultation and consents with an option to proceed to Stage 2 construction.

Source

The open NEC4 ECI tender launched

The tender set a GBP 21.04 million estimate, 60:40 quality-price weighting, marine and environmental risk register and a two-stage delivery route for the Option 6 outline.

Source

Environment Agency funding assurance was announced

The council confirmed GBP 16 million of UK Government funding within a GBP 20 million scheme intended to improve protection for 113 homes and 70 commercial properties, subject to design, planning and construction delivery.

Source

Evidence gap

What remains unverified

Outstanding evidence

  • Contract-details notice and executed NEC4 contract
  • Stage 1 notice to proceed and consultant or designer appointments
  • Numerical modelling, marine ground investigation and final Option 6 geometry
  • Planning permission, SSSI assent, Crown Estate rights and MMO marine licence
  • Stage 2 construction option and approved target cost
  • Rock quarry, armour grading, recharge source and transport route
  • Marine plant, dredger, barge, tug, survey and temporary-works assignments
  • Named lower-tier subcontractors and Boskalis workshare
  • First mobilisation, placed quantities, sectional acceptance and 2030 completion

Related records 2

Reporting status

Award, confirmed confidence

Last checked 3 August 2026 across 8 cited sources. The dated timeline above carries the project events.

Last checked 3 August 2026 Cited sources 8

Sources and related records

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Source collections

Project sources 8