Overview:
Marlborough Highways was tasked with carrying out major renovations to East Beach Car Park in the suburb of Shoeburyness on the Essex Coast. The scheme was the latest in a series of car park improvement projects to be commissioned by Southend-on-Sea City Council and to be carried out by Marlborough, the organisation’s long-term highways contractor. Sustainability and accessibility were central to the new design, which would benefit beachgoers and rail commuters using the nearby Shoeburyness Station.
The Challenge
East Beach Car Park serves the residents of Shoeburyness, including those who commute into London from the nearby railway station. The facility is also used by day-trippers and tourists wanting to visit the picturesque beach, with demand for parking higher during the warmer months. Overtime, East Beach Car Park became dilapidated, with an un-even surface, tired lighting, and poor pedestrian access deterring people from using it. As part of Southend-on-Sea City Council’s ambitious urban regeneration plans, East Beach Car Park was the latest such location to be identified for renovation works, following successful schemes in partnership with Marlborough elsewhere in the authority, including at Southchurch Park East in 2020.
Southend-on-Sea City Council commissioned Marlborough with the planning and implementation of a full redevelopment project at the site, as part of a wider rejuvenation programme of the beach area, which would include a toilet block refurbishment and a push to encourage the opening of new cafés and shops. The improved car park needed to be safe, well lit, accessible, and constructed with environmentally friendly materials. And given the proximity to the sea, designs needed to take into account the risk of flooding and the severe weather conditions which can occur there during the winter. In line with the Council’s commitment to become a carbon neutral city by 2030, the facility also had to be future proofed, with infrastructure for electric vehicle charging points required, and an energy efficient power source needed for the new lighting and CCTV system.
The Solution
Marlborough presented Southend-on-Sea City Council with innovative redevelopment plans, comprising 224 car parking spaces, including 11 disabled bays, and an area to accommodate up to three coaches. The scheme, which matched the area footprint of the original site, encompassed two key phases of construction scheduled for spring and summer 2022, with the project needing to be completed ahead of the popular East Beach Reggae Festival in mid-August. A permeability test in advance of the works revealed the need to introduce a sustainable drainage system, with designs incorporating strategically placed swale features and shingle running the whole length of the car park.
Phase one of the scheme saw the construction of spacious and well-positioned foot and cycleways in and around the site, as well as the creation of a nearby temporary car park to give train passengers and beachgoers continued access to the area during works. Excavations then took place with the use of lightweight equipment, meaning disruption to pedestrians and road users was kept to a minimum. During phase two, ground and kerb works were carried out quickly and efficiently with the use of specialist low-carbon asphalt and a pioneering ExcelEdge aluminium material, resulting in a durable and robust new surface. The skills and expertise of Marlborough’s in-house electricians were essential when installing ducting for future EV charging points, and when fitting 40 stylish LED lighting columns, each with its own solar and wind power generator. Throughout the process Marlborough’s local team based at its nearby Rochford depot liaised with members of the public, providing regular project updates with a friendly and reassuring presence.
Fact File
Client Southend-on-Sea City Council
Date April – August 2022
Duration 4 months
Value £800,000
Project
- Refurbishment of a large car park with 224 spaces and three coach bays
- Excavation works
- Construction of new pathways for pedestrians and cyclists
- Laying of low-carbon asphalt surfacing with the use of innovative ExcelEdge product
- New kerbing
- Line markings
- Drainage infrastructure works featuring attractive and efficient swales
- Ducting for electric charging points throughout
- Installation of 40 sustainable lighting columns
- Boundary fencing work
- New signage
Team
- 1 full time Project Manager
- 1 x Supervisor
- 1 x Trainee Supervisor
- 5 x Marlborough Operatives across all trades
Client savings
- The new car park lighting is powered by renewable energy, providing extensive savings on electricity costs.
- All Marlborough staff working on site were residents of Southend-on-Sea or the wider community, with the project providing local employment.
- Marlborough’s dedicated Rochford depot meant the project could be coordinated at local level, with the ability to transport materials in and out of the site quickly and easily.
- Despite construction taking place during record breaking high temperatures, the project was completed to schedule, with the well-being of staff and members of the public remaining Marlborough’s number one priority throughout.
Quote from client
“During the East Beach Car Park design and construction phase, Marlborough’s team were very flexible. The successful implementation of the scheme has provided Southend-on-Sea City Council, residents and visitors with a first-class facility, offering better access to our award-winning coastline and local amenities.”
Martin Warren, Development Engineer, Southend-on-Sea City Council
“One of the things I value most is their very collaborative and transparent team culture. It makes a big difference to have a contractor that wants to work closely with us and is supportive and responsive. With Marlborough, I get a team who are attentive, work collaboratively and honestly with me and don’t lose focus on delivering first class communications and compliance.”
“From the design stage, Marlborough has been fundamental in delivering the Broad Lane Square improvements scheme. During the works, not only did the team manage to keep to the programme, but they went the extra mile to ensure attention to detail and came up with innovative solutions to address issues encountered on site. My thanks on behalf of Haringey goes out to Marlborough for their dedication to deliver.”
“Working alongside our Term Service Contractor Marlborough Highways, we successfully completed renovations to the Crowstone Footbridge. The designs were provided by Marlborough, and the work was unique. The scheme was completed to budget and ahead of its programme duration.”
“I would like to thank you and your team for your efforts, the Marlborough crews were professional, courteous, and hard working all day and ensured the event went without a hitch. You and the team were a credit to the company, demonstrating commitment and support to the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.”
“I just wanted to say what a pleasure it has been to work with Marlborough Highways over the last six months. The quality of work is superb, and there has been some excellent collaboration between Milestone and Marlborough to complete, what at times, has been quite a challenging scheme. I hope to work with Marlborough on another project in the near future.”
“Marlborough worked with us in constructing a 1.3km cycle track. There were a number of technical difficulties to overcome, and their gifted foreman worked to propose some innovative solutions to the challenges we faced. The result is a facility that the locals are proud of, providing walkers and cyclists with alternative access to the hospital and nearby school. The scheme was a lot of hard work, but well worth it.”
“Marlborough attracts people who take care and have pride in their work. Several gangs of Operatives worked tirelessly for six months to reconstruct drainage networks, lay more than 3km of high quality bespoke granite kerbs and granite channels blocks to ensure positive drainage. The technical compliance, attention to detail and level of quality finish along the entire carriageway was exceptional”.
“We saw huge benefits in appointing Marlborough as our full service contractor and we’re impressed – they’ve delivered consistent high quality service and superior quality control across every project. Marlborough, provide us with a ‘one-stop’ shop solution – we get the same quality of service and better control across all aspects of the project.”
Please see our privacy notice for more information on how Marlborough Highways Ltd take care of your details.