---
title: "Lower Itchen Options Appraisal"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-3e277dda-09b8-4410-b5dd-6203f792444b"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-3e277dda-09b8-4410-b5dd-6203f792444b"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-3e277dda-09b8-4410-b5dd-6203f792444b.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-3e277dda-09b8-4410-b5dd-6203f792444b.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "ENVIRONMENT AGENCY"
published: "2025-02-06"
---

# Lower Itchen Options Appraisal

Buyer: ENVIRONMENT AGENCY  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-3e277dda-09b8-4410-b5dd-6203f792444b

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## Summary

The Environment Agency has completed the procurement process for the "Lower Itchen Options Appraisal", an environmental services project aimed at improving the River Itchen's condition in Southampton. The tender process, initiated under a selective procurement method as a call-off from a framework agreement, commenced on 10th January 2025, with the contract awarded on 3rd February 2025. The contract, valued at £87,573, will be executed from 3rd February 2025 to 30th August 2025. The awarded supplier for this project is Ove Arup & Partners Limited Primary, based in London. The procurement specifically addresses environmental challenges in the UK and includes delivering essential services across several locations, including British Overseas Territories, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Europe, and beyond.

This tender presents significant business growth opportunities for companies in the environmental services sector, particularly those specialising in river and wetland restoration, biodiversity enhancement, and flood risk management. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs), though not specifically targeted for this tender, may still find relevant opportunities in sub-contracting or partnership arrangements. The project's comprehensive nature, involving multiple stakeholders like Southampton City Council and Southern Water, means there will be ongoing demand for a wide range of services, making it ideal for businesses with expertise in technical studies, environmental impact mitigation, and fish population restoration.

## Notice

The River Itchen SSSI/SAC is an internationally renowned chalk stream, and despite being highly designated, is in unfavourable condition. One reason being the condition of the physical channel, and another linked to the status of the Itchen Atlantic salmon population, now deemed to be in crisis and at high risk of extinction. The Lower Itchen, at Woodmill, Southampton, has been significantly modified historically to manage water for navigation, milling, and fishing activities. As a result of this, there are several water control structures: a sluice gate, 2 penstocks, and a sea door that are near the end of their design-life, and a technical fish pass (known as a Denil plain baffle fish pass). In addition, upstream, the true right bank, retaining the river in an artificial, perched state through Riverside Park, is increasingly permeable and has developed large breaches. This allows a significant proportion of the river to drain from its main (artificial) channel to follow a more natural course through the floodplain. There is an increasing risk that the whole river will continue to change course over time, and this will be expediated through bank failure. There are multiple partners with both interests and legal requirements to protect, restore & enhance, and increase the resilience of the designated features of the Lower Itchen. Southampton City Council (SCC) own the structures, and a large extent of adjacent wetland and parkland; and they own Fishing Rights on the river from the Salmon Pool to Gaters Mill. SCC lease some of the wetland area (including a lake) to Active Nation for educational, water sports and fishing activities. The Environment Agency (EA) has an interest in the management and condition of the river, particularly regarding abstraction, flood risk, biodiversity, water quality and fish passage. Southern Water (SW) have an interest in the availability of water for abstraction, particularly during low flow and drought conditions. SW have a requirement to put in place a package of mitigation measures to offset environmental impacts from abstraction pursuant to a Lower Itchen Drought Order. Portsmouth Water also abstract for public water supply at Gaters Mill, upstream of the A27. There have been several technical studies undertaken to date, including a Woodmill Project (Options Appraisal) study, 2016 (Appendix B), which primarily focused on easing fish passage. However, several changes since this date, for example, the Monks Brook weir (a major impediment to fish passage) has collapsed; 50% of flow is now going through the main breach (on the true right hand bank); sea level rise predictions have changed, the status of Itchen Salmon has deteriorated; climate-change impacts are increasingly evident through storms, surges, flooding, low flows and drought; and the number of small breaches in the true right bank are increasing in size.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/3907218a-74ac-4096-a6f9-b412475d0531 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Framework |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Selective |
| Procurement method details | Call-off from a framework agreement |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 6 Feb 2025 |
| Submission deadline | 10 Jan 2025 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 3 Feb 2025 |
| Contract period | 3 Feb 2025 - 30 Aug 2025 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £87,573 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £87,573 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Not specified |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | ENVIRONMENT AGENCY |
| Locality | LONDON |
| Post town | South West London |
| Postcode | SW1P 4DF |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLI London |
| ITL 2 | TLI3 Inner London - West |
| ITL 3 | TLI35 Westminster and City of London |
| Local authority | Westminster |
| Electoral ward | St James's |
| Westminster constituency | Cities of London and Westminster |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | OVE ARUP & PARTNERS LIMITED PRIMARY |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 90 - Sewage, refuse, cleaning and environmental services

### Codes

- 90700000 - Environmental services

## Release History

- 6 Feb 2025 at 15:14 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/3907218a-74ac-4096-a6f9-b412475d0531

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/3907218a-74ac-4096-a6f9-b412475d0531
  6th February 2025 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder
- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/4e67c7a0-6acb-4ce6-ad79-662bd6cba64a
  EcoSF4_Contract_Ove Arup - Redacted

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-3e277dda-09b8-4410-b5dd-6203f792444b. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-3e277dda-09b8-4410-b5dd-6203f792444b.json.