Doncaster Borough Flood Resilience Grants
The Challenge
Major flooding was experienced across the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster (DMBC) on the 7th to 10th November 2019 with almost 800 properties affected. Affected homes and businesses were eligible for a £5,000 grant to make them more resilient to flooding.
Key facts
- We were appointed by DMBC to carry out PFR surveys
- We have surveyed 200+ properties between April and December 2020
- Surveys were carried out during the COVID-19 national lockdown/tier 3 restrictions
- A range of property types, including listed buildings, and resident needs meant bespoke recommendations were made at each property.
The Solution
DMBC appointed us as key workers allowing us to carry out surveys during the COVID-19 lockdown and tier 3 restrictions. We adapted our normal working practices and developed risk assessments to safeguard our team and the residents minimising contact and to comply with social distancing rules.
Firstly, we assessed the feasibility of community level and street level schemes as an alternative to traditional PFR. Where such schemes were considered feasible, we carried out design activities such as engineering calculations, hydraulic modelling, and screening assessments for temporary flood barriers.
Where community schemes were not feasible, we carried out PFR surveys, considering the flood risk, the building construction, and the resident needs to make properties more resilient. Complying with the CIRIA Code of Practice, we provided the residents with costed options and recommended priority measures where the grant budget was the key driver for resilience.
We have carried out post installation sign-off surveys to verify the measures installed and quantify the flood risk to the property.
