COPFAS, Hull

The City of Hull is settled on flat land adjacent to the sea and close to sea level, making the region susceptible to intense flooding due to its surrounding valleys draining their rainwater into the basin in which Hull is built. Consequentially, in 2007, over 14,000 properties were affected by flooding in Hull. Therefore, in order to reduce future flooding, the Cottingham and Orchard Park Flood Alleviation Scheme (COPFAS) storm-water attenuation project was proposed to protect communities, businesses and local infrastructure in the areas of Cottingham and Orchard Park.

What we did

Pell Frischmann provided Civil, Geotechnical, Structural and Flood Engineering and Environmental Consultancy services for all stages of the project, from modelling through to outline and detailed design, obtaining planning permission, to on-site engineering, for a system of nine storage reservoirs, all in accordance with the Reservoirs Act throughout the Raywell Valley and Orchard Park, east of Hull.

Starting in 2016, the scheme was split and delivered into two phases:

Phase One: Design of control structures and a series of pipes and ditches to remove excess water from a watercourse and divert it to the storage reservoir in Orchard Park.

Phase Two: Design of eight flood storage reservoirs with control structures and connecting pipes and ditches cascading down the Raywell Valley.

Pell Frischmann’s multi-disciplinary capabilities allowed experts in the Flood, Geotechnical and Civil Engineering teams to provide innovative, cost-effective solutions, without compromising on the safety of the local residents. Our teams created a new channel by refurbishing two existing culverts underneath a railway line, easing the flow of floodwater to Orchard Park. Refurbishing, as opposed to building a newer, larger culvert, saved the client over £1M and minimised impact on the environment.