Opportunity
A spate of flood events triggered investment in new defence measures and we were engaged to design and supervise construction of a robust, sustainable solution which took into account the sensitive nature of the local conservation area as well as environmental and ecological issues associated with the watercourse.
Solution
The scheme consists of a range of hard and soft engineering defences along the upstream section of the brook and we have steered the project from the feasibility stage to construction. We used our expertise in hydraulic flood modelling and BIM to optimise the positioning of flood defences, which concentrated works on seven distinct areas, minimising disruption to residents, and leading to an environmentally-conscious design that was aesthetically acceptable to property owners and the local community. There was extensive community engagement throughout the project.
Outcome
The scheme will contain fluvial flooding up to a 1 in 100 year event (plus allowance for climate change) and increase capacity and flow within the brook. Gravity-fed systems, removing the need for pumps, and construction of earth embankments, instead of retaining walls, reduced costs and lowered the scheme’s carbon footprint.