Cambridge tenders £1.2m Jesus Green riverside repairs

Cambridge City Council is seeking a contractor for the stabilisation and repair of the riverside wall at Jesus Green, with an estimated £1.2m works package published on 12 October. The procurement includes detailed design, new sheet piling, associated capping and reinstatement of paths and riverbank surfaces beside the River Cam. The tender is a construction-stage step in a longer project to address the condition of the public river frontage.

The specification calls for the existing wall to be stabilised and repaired, with a new sheet pile wall constructed and integrated with the remaining structure. In this approach, interlocking sections are driven or otherwise installed to provide a continuous retaining line; their design must consider ground conditions, lateral loading and the interfaces with existing structures. The council has not published the final wall section, pile length or installation technique in the open notice, so those details remain matters for design development and contractor submissions.

The construction scope goes beyond the retaining wall itself. Contractors must deal with existing outfalls, pump-out arrangements and drainage connections, including replacing the foul-water drainage serving Jesus Green Lido. Such interfaces can constrain river wall design because pipes cross or run close to the retaining structure, and access for their future inspection has to be accommodated. The notice also requires protection and coordination of utilities, along with local modifications to the existing wall and footpath structure. Pipe crossings and reinstated services must be integrated into the new retaining structure. Contractors will have to explain how the proposed construction sequence accommodates those connections and protects them during the installation.

Maintaining public use of Jesus Green is another stated part of the works. The procurement requires temporary footpath diversions, fencing, public access management and reinstatement of affected paving, grassed areas and riverbank surfaces. The tender also anticipates river-based access for materials and temporary storage. The balance between access from the water and from the park will depend on the accepted construction methodology and the practical limits of working alongside an active public space.

The £1.2m figure is the estimated value of this advertised package, not the council’s total financial provision for the project. In September the council’s Cabinet recommended raising the Jesus Green river wall project budget from the £850,000 approved in October 2024 to a maximum of £2.441m. That larger amount covers the broader programme authority, while the tender figure relates to the current procurement notice. The approved project budget and advertised works estimate cover different financial scopes.

Earlier council papers described a procurement route in which a preferred contractor would first be appointed under a Pre-Construction Services Agreement, with a main contract to follow once the final design, construction method, cost plan and contract sum were acceptable. The newly published notice describes an open competition for the repair works. The new tender does not identify an appointed contractor.

The 12 October notice identifies a single works opportunity and sets a bid deadline of 6 November 2026. It includes the contractor’s responsibility for full design and for temporary works needed to deliver the stabilisation. Separate procurement listings use reference DN832659 and open contracting identifier ocds-h6vhtk-0785a7. No successful bidder, final start date or agreed contract sum has yet been announced in the evidence available for this report.

Successful delivery will require the finished retaining structure to connect with existing fabric and drainage while restoring routes around the green. Bids close on 6 November, ahead of contractor selection and final design development.