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County Antrim-headquartered Farrans has received recognition at the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Awards 2025 for its Connswater Community Greenway Scheme project.
The scheme received the Edmund Hambly Medal for its sustainable, community-focused design.
Completed in 2017 the project has created an attractive, safe and accessible cycle and walkway through an urban area of East Belfast, connecting over 40,000 people with: 16km of continuous cycle and walkway; seven new bridge crossings over the Connswater, Knock and Loop Rivers; a new event space for up to 2,000 people with seven new pieces of artwork; new amenities including two new play parks and MUGA pitches; £11m of added flood protection to 1,700 local properties.
The Edmund Hambly Medal aligns with ICE’s commitment to increase resilience, sustainability and inclusivity. It is an award for the creative design of an engineering project that makes a substantial contribution to sustainable development, and celebrates the contributions of civil engineers and built environment professionals to share inspiring, replicable solutions, fostering a shift in perception about what excellence looks like.
Brian McCool, Contracts Director for Farrans, said: "This is a very well-deserved recognition for a transformational project that has helped regenerate this area of East Belfast. The Connswater Community Greenway is one of the most significant and most highly acclaimed Greenway and River Restoration/Flood Alleviation Schemes on the island of Ireland and it is often used as a benchmark for best practice internationally.
"Collaboration was key to the success of this project which saw a dedicated multi-organisational team and visionary client work together with a committed community. As a civil engineer the real icing on the cake is seeing the Greenway being used daily by people."
