The Rectory – UK

ELLLUC Projects were commissioned as Hydrology, Civil & Structural Engineering consultants for the development of a new Autism Centre, with residential housing.

There was initial concerns as there were several watercourses both in and around the site. ELLUC Projects noted that the EA maps indicate flooding from catchments above 3km². However the watercourses on site had catchments of less than 3km² and so were not highlighted on the EA Flood Maps. Liaison with the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) was required to understand if there were any past records of flooding on the site and agree that the construction works were
acceptable.

The LLFA initially responded that the proposed layout wasn’t acceptable, this was due to the positioning of the main carpark being above the existing watercourse. In principle, the culverting of a watercourse is not allowed except for access. In response to this ELLUC Projects successfully negotiated an alternative method. This involved diverting the existing watercourse to flow around the carpark and then culverting the watercourse beneath the access road. This was accepted by the LLFA and the proposed layout was therefore not altered, allowing the client to achieve the most efficient solution.