The major infrastructure project will address the last remaining undefended waterfront in Poole town centre and has been designed to protect the area from tidal flooding and support its long-term regeneration.
Delivered in partnership with BCP Council and South West Flood & Coastal, the £29.4 million scheme will provide 1.5km of continuous flood defences along the eastern side of Holes Bay.
Construction will begin in August 2025. Zone A (Holes Bay Path to Lifeboat Quay) will raise the height of existing pathways to 2.65m AOD, by upgrading embankments and rock revetments.
Zone E (from the RNLI car park to Poole Bridge) is due to commence in the autumn and will comprise a 3.6m AOD steel tubular and sheet-piled wall with flood gates. The two zones will take approximately 18 months to complete.
Over 570 properties currently face a present-day flood risk. This figure is expected to rise to more than 2,000 over the next century due to climate change and sea level rise.
Mike Crook, Divisional Director, Knights Brown said:
“We’re delighted to be awarded this local scheme, which we know will be of great benefit to the community. Our extensive experience in coastal and marine civil engineering extends across southern England and Wales. This includes projects such as the North Portsea scheme where 1.9km of flood defences are currently under construction; a 1.2km concrete faced, stepped apron and sheet pile toe wall just completed at Mumbles, South Wales; and the Falklands Jetty upgrade at Marchwood Port in Southampton. We’re very happy to be getting work underway on this transformative project.”
Matt Hosey – Head of Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management, BCP Council said:
“For years, it was anticipated that the ongoing regeneration from Poole Bridge to Hunger Hill would result in comprehensive flood defences. However, recent developments have only delivered them along isolated sections, leaving significant gaps. This incomplete coverage exposes the wider area to tidal flooding, a risk that will increase in frequency and severity due to climate change. South West Flood & Coastal has been actively progressing the delivery of this essential, major and complex flood defence scheme, securing substantial funding contributions from Environment Agency Grant in Aid and BCP Council Strategic CIL. Through early contractor involvement, Knights Brown has contributed to enhancing the scheme’s buildability, shortening the construction programme and value-engineering costs, all while aiming to reduce environmental impacts.”
Due to salt marsh and mud flat ecosystems that support wintering wading birds and wildfowl, Holes Bay is designated as a Wetland of International Importance (under the Ramsar convention), Special Protection Area (SPA) and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
To protect marine wildlife a bubble curtain will be installed to ensure any sediment disturbed while work is underway is effectively contained. An ecological engineering technique featuring pole and pontoon hulas will be installed at key locations to increase marine biodiversity.
The project is funded by the Environment Agency, BCP Council Strategic Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and is being overseen by South-West Flood & Coastal. Once complete, the scheme will unlock opportunities for new public waterfront routes and mixed-use developments.
For further information, please follow the link to our community page.
Left to right the photo features: Dominic Perris, Surveyor – Dalcour Maclaren, Elizabeth Rabett, Lead Land Agent – Dalcour Maclaren, Rob Hayman, Divisional Civils Operations Manager – Knights Brown, Mike Crook, Divisional Director – Knights Brown, Matt Hosey, Head of Service – South West Flood & Coastal (SWFaC) along with Rob Thomas Project Manager, Peter Christie – Capital Projects Manager – SWFaC and Talal Aburumman – Assistant Project Manager.
