Port of Sunderland development project wins major accolade

A multi-million-pound project to make swathes of land at Port of Sunderland shovel-ready for development has scooped a major award.

The completion of enabling works at the port’s Trinity – Rail, Road & Sea Enterprise Zone has been named ‘Medium Project of the Year’ at the prestigious Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) North East’s annual Robert Stephenson Awards.

Held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Newcastle, the glittering ceremony brought together some of the biggest names in construction and engineering from across the North to celebrate excellence in the built environment.

The Trinity Enterprise Zone Enabling Works project, also known as Hendon Sidings, was a collaboration between Port of Sunderland, Esh Construction and Mott MacDonald, and was commended by the judges for its innovation, efficiency and community impact.

Completed in April last year, the project represented the final phase of a number of substantive works packages to improve port infrastructure and help attract inward investment to the North Sea hub.

Matthew Hunt, Director at Port of Sunderland, said: "We were delighted when our name was read out and we were named as the 'Medium Project of the Year'.

“This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team and our partners at Esh Construction and Mott MacDonald over the last few years to deliver this incredible project.

“The Trinity Enterprise Zone Enabling Works project has been a significant endeavour for us, and we are incredibly proud of the positive impact it will have on our community and the local economy.”

Steven Garrigan, Divisional Director at Esh Construction, said: “We’re thrilled that the project has been recognised as an award-winner. Working collaboratively with our client, the designers and sub-contractors, we delivered a scheme that will support investment in the region while creating environmental efficiencies and social value within the local community.

“This is the third project we have undertaken as part of the Port’s Enterprise Zone Accommodation Works and as a local contractor, we are all excited to see what the future holds for the Port of Sunderland.”

The enabling works generated a raft of social benefits. More than 100 apprentice training weeks were delivered on site along with two work experience placements, one for a forces leaver and another for an undergraduate student who has since secured a paid internship with Esh.

Environmental efficiencies and carbon reduction measures were also considered throughout the project, with Esh setting up an on-site processing system which saw more than 34,000m3 of excavated material, segregated, crushed, screened and re-used on site. Over 57 tonnes of hard to recycle waste has been diverted from landfill and instead recycled into Biomass fuel.

Simon Longshaw, senior associate at Mott MacDonald, added: “We are proud to have delivered this project successfully and absolutely thrilled that it has been recognised for its excellence and impact.

“We would like to thank our partners, Esh Construction Ltd and Sunderland City Council, for their collaboration and support throughout the project – a real team effort.”

For more information about Port of Sunderland, please visit: https://www.portofsunderland.org.uk/