A project to alleviate flooding risk to more than 60 homes and businesses in Sidmouth is one of 10 infrastructure schemes to be shortlisted for a design and construction award. 

The winners of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) South West Civil Engineering Awards 2022 will be announced by Rob Bell, TV presenter and engineer, on Thursday, September 15, at a gala ceremony in Bristol. 

The flood alleviation scheme at Sidmouth seeks to protect 64 homes and businesses from flooding by diverting water into the Knowle Arena Amphitheatre, a flood storage area that doubles up as a performance space for the local community.  

The design means the new amphitheatre will remain functional during most rainfall events. The underground storage tanks can hold up to 150,000 gallons of water. 

Another project shortlisted is an initiative to improve flooding resiliency in Clyst St Mary by raising and strengthening existing defenses over 320million of the village Mill Leat.  

Judges visited all the shortlisted projects over two days in June 2022 to assess which schemes would receive top honours. 

For the first time, the Resilience Award will be presented to a project that demonstrates innovation and ingenuity in adapting to the impacts of climate change and enabling improvements to biodiversity or carbon reduction. All finalists have also shown evidence of their commitment to sustainability and meeting the United Nations sustainable development goals. 

Miranda Housden, ICE South West regional director, said: “People may not realise that civil engineers are on the frontline of responding to the challenges of climate change.  

“They are working every day to improve the resilience of our vital infrastructure, such as roads, railways and bridges, so our communities can adapt for the future.  

“They are developing new ways to mitigate flooding and overcome droughts and seeking to save carbon in the structures they build.  

“Our awards are a chance to highlight and celebrate the work of engineers across the South West region. We hope to send a message that this is a career for those passionate about the climate crisis.”  

This year’s shortlisted projects include flood defences, a canal bridge restoration, highways schemes, river engineering, watermains replacement and a railway reopening. 

Craig Small, operations director, Kier Infrastructure (Major Projects), representing the main awards sponsor, Kier BAM, said: “From the smallest local scheme to the largest multi-million-pound project, the engineering talent in the South West is truly impressive.”