Talbot Park wins double recognition at CECA Midlands Awards

Talbot Park, a new urban park in Kidderminster, was awarded two industry accolades at the recent Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) Midlands Awards. The landmark town-centre regeneration scheme was named ‘Project of the Year (£3-10 million)’, as well as being highly commended in the ‘Client Team of the Year’ category.

Appointed by Wyre Forest District Council (WFDC) as part of the wider project team and working alongside Ares Landscape Architects and principal contractor McPhillips, McBains provided civil & structural engineering expertise together with NEC supervisor services from the start of the design process through to completion. The awards recognise the close collaboration and technical skill that helped turn a challenging brownfield site into a high-quality new public space.

Opened to the public in May 2026, Talbot Park has transformed the site of several vacant retail premises into a welcoming urban park and community space. The scheme strengthens east–west connections through Kidderminster town centre by linking Worcester Street with Bromsgrove Street, while responding inclusively to a significant change in level across the site.

The park combines stepped and step-free routes with extensive landscaping, wooden seating and a natural play area. Its construction required 16 retaining walls, seven flights of steps through the grassed embankment and a winding accessible path, creating an attractive public space that is straightforward to move through and enjoy.

Sustainable urban drainage is integral to the design. The below-ground infrastructure includes three attenuation tanks totalling approximately 130 m² and two soakaways totalling approximately 150 m², linked by hundreds of metres of storm pipework and linear drainage, 44 storm-sewer manholes and three flow-control Hydro-Brakes, hidden away within the landscape. A deep drainage connection beneath Worcester Street was formed using specialist tunnelling techniques. 

The completed landscaping features planters with trees, shrubs, plants and grasses, together with a children’s play area designed to support climbing and balance. The project team also worked closely with local regeneration, community, environment, policing, safety and biodiversity stakeholders to support long-term management and the district’s wider sustainability objectives.

Lee Wingate, Director at McBains, said: “We’re delighted to see Talbot Park recognised at the CECA Midlands Awards. These honours reflect the commitment and collaboration of the client, contractor, designers and wider project team. Together, we balanced complex civil & structural engineering requirements with an ambitious, landscape-led vision to create an accessible and welcoming public space that will support Kidderminster’s regeneration for years to come.”

Funded through the Government’s Future High Streets Fund and delivered by Wyre Forest District Council, Talbot Park forms part of the wider ambition to regenerate Kidderminster town centre and create a more attractive, accessible destination for residents, workers and visitors.