Poundfield to supply 859 low-carbon precast units for Paignton and Preston sea defences

Poundfield Precast will supply 859 bespoke precast concrete units over the 24-month Paignton and Preston coastal flood defence scheme in Torbay, cast in a low-carbon mix that removes 50% of the cement, the manufacturer said.

The units, which include sea defence walls, steps, ramps, planters and seating, range from under one tonne to a maximum of six tonnes, according to Poundfield. Elsewhere on the same page the company rounds its supply up to "nearly 1,000" blocks.

Torbay Council appointed civil engineering contractor Knights Brown to deliver the project, Poundfield said. The council said the contractor was chosen through a competitive tender process.

Cllr Chris Lewis, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Place Development and Economic Growth at Torbay Council, said: "This marks Paignton's first large-scale transformational project an initiative that goes far beyond flood defence."

The precast package

Poundfield said the blocks have been given a reddish finish to complement the shade of the local sand. The colour was developed with Hatcrete after a series of pigment trials.

Each section is numbered so that it slots into place on site exactly as planned, the company said. Once complete in summer 2027, the scheme will feature terraced seating and extensive planting.

Poundfield describes itself as a precast concrete manufacturer with nationwide coverage from two locations. It is part of SigmaRoc PLC, an AIM-quoted lime and industrial limestone group that operates from more than 90 sites, employs about 2,900 people and has a turnover of £1bn. Since January 2022, every Poundfield product has been available in an ultra-low carbon option, the company said.

The scheme

Torbay Council said more than 350 properties in Paignton and Preston could be at risk over the next 50 years. Its project page says £13.5m has so far been committed to protect homes, businesses and the two town centres, with the project mostly paid for by the UK Government through the Environment Agency, alongside other programmes including the Government Flood Defence Grant in Aid initiative.

Knights Brown gives a different figure on its own project page, saying the council secured £4.6m for these first projects under the masterplan from the Environment Agency, Section 106 contributions and the Future High Streets Fund.

Knights Brown said the scheme evolved from a frontline concrete sea wall into a tiered sea defence with enhanced placemaking along the seafront. The planning application was submitted in late 2023 and approved at Torbay Council's planning committee on 24 June 2024.

Knights Brown is carrying out construction of the coastal flood defences and the public space improvements, the council said.

Programme

Knights Brown said construction began in late September 2025. Torbay Council said in October 2025 that the contractor had been setting up its compound, with full-scale works set to begin in early November 2025.

The council's project page says Paignton work is split into three phases and is expected to finish by summer 2027, while Preston is a single phase expected to finish by spring 2027. Its July 2025 release gave dates of 22 September 2025 to 10 May 2027 for Paignton and 30 September 2025 to 4 December 2026 for Preston. Knights Brown's page gives late summer 2027 for Paignton and late spring 2027 for Preston.

The first phase, Paignton Green North, was scheduled to complete ahead of the English Riviera Airshow on 29 to 31 May 2026, according to the council. No construction was to take place during the six-week school summer holiday in 2026, and no beach huts were available at Preston for the 2026 season after their removal for the works.

Poundfield's page says it "will supply" the 859 units over the lifetime of the scheme, so the figure is the planned total across the 24-month programme rather than a completed delivery.

The Paignton and Preston works are the first projects to be delivered under the seafront masterplan, which Torbay Council's Cabinet approved in January 2023.