Construction of a marina including slipway, workshop, service bay and facilities building

Land and Water Group managed the construction of the 253 berth Overwater Marina at Audlem, Cheshire that required a 980m long access road being constructed from the nearest highway, only when this was in place could the earthworks commence to the new marina.

During the Autumn of 2009 53,000m3 of existing material was excavated and re‐engineered to form an impermeable basin. As well as earthworks the sheet piling, reinforced concrete entrance structure and slipway were constructed prior to connecting onto the existing canal system in November 2009.

An existing wildlife pond was retained and incorporated into the scheme and the Landscaping was the planting and extensive use of coir rolls at the waters edge to further encourage wildlife to return to this former green field.

In parallel with the above the perimeter access road and adjacent car parking areas were ongoing together with construction of the Workshop, Facilities building and fuel/pump service area.

These buildings and associated footpaths were completed in Spring 2010. 

Green Field Marina Construction project

The scheme comprises the design and construction of a £5.4m 620 berth canal marina on the Trent and Mersey Canal, with attendant infrastructure, offices, dry dock, chandlery, ablution blocks, and a bespoke “link canal” which will serve to connect the existing lake (a former Trout Fishery and commercial “borrow pit”), to the Trent and Mersey Canal.

The new link canal passes under an existing highway (Findern Lane), by way of a new canal bridge.  The new link canal will include a wetland (habitat compensation area) and a control structure capable of isolating the marina from the canal for future maintenance etc. The project also involved £1M of road infrastructure improvements to Findern Lane and the junction with Etwall Road in the village of Willington to deal with the increased volume of traffic created by the marina.  A pumped foul drainage system was also installed to dispose of the foul waste from the new facilities buildings, offices, pub, dry dock workshop and the boats themselves. This foul sewer line was directionally drilled under Findern Lane and the rail crossing on Findern Lane under the supervision of Network Rail, before eventually connecting into the existing foul sewer system in Willington.

The earthworks, to form the shape of the marina and the internal islands and promontories within the marina was carried out using GPS controlled earthmoving equipment, to ensure that the shape of the marina was cut to within a tolerance of 100mm to the original design. Over 2.5km of erosion protection was installed around the perimeter banks of the marina, in the form of pre-planted coir rolls and rip rap stone punched into the marina banks.