The Proposal
Paul Basham Associates were appointed to provide a civil engineering site appraisal in support of the feasibility stage for a proposed 400 dwelling residential development at Land West of Beccles Road, Carlton Colville. Our team undertook a review of flood risk, utility searches and provided an early-stage drainage strategy to inform the masterplan and identify constraints.
Our proposal covered a bespoke programme of work as required, and to the satisfaction of, our client’s need.
Our Approach
Our engineers undertook a thorough programme of work including a site walkover to review existing drainage features, assess the topography and identify physical constraints influencing the developable area and drainage strategy. This ensured that all subsequent design work was grounded in an accurate understanding of on‑site conditions.
We firstly undertook utility searches and conducted a desktop study to inform the condition and constraints of the site. This included an assessment of flood risk and soil mapping, and raising a pre-development enquiry with the Water Authority to demonstrate capacity for wastewater flows from the development.
Design development included a review of surveys to understand the site levels and develop an understanding of appropriate sustainable drainage (SuDS) features. The drainage design progressed with identification of suitable outfalls and hydraulic modelling to quantify our design.
We worked closely with the client and architect to identify an opportunity for the inclusion of roadside swales to convey flows prior to disposal and form a treatment train of runoff from the site. We collaborated to incorporate constraints to inform the internal road network, landscaping design and share existing utility and Network Rail constraints that impacted the site.
The Outcome
The body of work and our findings were summarised in a comprehensive supporting technical note to provide recommendations for the next stages of design.
Our appraisal provided the client with a clear understanding of the site’s engineering constraints and opportunities, enabling informed decision‑making at an early stage. The preliminary drainage strategy, flood risk review, and utilities assessment supported the development of a robust masterplan to reduce risk when submitting a planning application, with a clear understanding of how the site could be drained, inclusion of appropriate sustainable drainage (SuDS) features and how flood risk can be mitigated.
Early engagement with the Water Authority ensured that drainage considerations were addressed proactively and enable the next stage of design work.