Flood Risk Assessment – Idmiston, Porton & Golmeldon

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Flood Risk Assessment – Idmiston, Porton & Golmeldon

Acting on instructions from Idmiston Parish Council Southwest Environmental have undertaken a Parish Wide flood risk assessment, in advance of revisions being made to the parish plan.

The assessment is to ocver the 3 villages of Idmiston, Porton & Golmeldon and has a broad scope to cover the following sources of flood risk;

  • Fluvial – River Flooding from the River Bourne is  can affect some areas within the parish. Most developments are outside of Zone 3.
  • Pluvial – Surface Water flooding represents the highest risk within the parish. Run-off from side valleys to the main river valley create large volumes of run-off during.
  • Ground Water – Ground water is rather more occluded in nature than other types of flooding, it can affect.
  • Sewer –  Post intense rain fall events local sewer networks can become overwhelmed, this can be a result of blockages, poor maintenance or catchment transfer. 

A draft report has been produced with an aim to achieve a reduction in flood risk within the parish, this is to be achieved by a raft of measures which will be discussed with the Council Members, for inclusion within the final report.

The report was referenced in the submitted neighbourhood plan (page 32) for Idmiston Parish Council, the plan also contained some interesting photos supplied by Idmiston Residents.

Flood Risk Assessment Wiltshire

BREEAM Planning Strategy Report – Kensington and Chelsea

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BREEAM Planning Strategy Report – Kensington and Chelsea

For domestic refurbishments of a certain scale Kensington and Chelsea Borough Council require the project to be assessed under BREEAM Domestic Refurbishment. At the planning stage Southwest Environmental can produce a planning level strategy report to satisfy planners. 

The property in question was a large terraced house, with planning sought for a large basement to incorpertae a swimming pool and gym.

SAP Rating Before Refurbishment

SAP Rating After Refurbishment

Detailed SAP calculations were carried out to assess, the energy consumption and the building before and after the refurbishment. BREEAM requires decreases in energy consumption in order to score points. 

Unlike a new build project, a refurbishment starts at a disadvantage as there a numerous physical constraints, also in listed buildings there is the outward appearance to consider although allowances are made for this in the BREEAM Assessment Methodology.

Kensington and Chelsea require that 40% of the overall score come from sections relating to Energy Consumption and Water Consumption. It is thought that the specification of CHP scored very well in these areas allowing much freedom in other challenging areas such as fabric energy efficiency.

As always Southwest Environmental recommend airtightness as a cost effective solution that rarely inhibits appearance and design. Airtightness is a very important factor in the Passive House Standard, where extreme levels of energy efficiency are delivered.

Passive House 

BREEAM Reports

Desktop Study – Doddiscombeleigh, Devon

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Desktop Study – Doddiscombeleigh, Devon

Southwest Environmental have recently undertaken a Desktop Study (sometimes called a Phase 1 contamination report) for an individual in Devon.

The site was occupied by 2 or 3 barns which had been used of rearing of livestock. This site was considered to be low risk. And the it was recommended that conditions relating to contaminated land were discharged.

Desktop Study Devon

Foul and Surface Water Drainage Strategy – Seaton

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Foul and Surface Water Drainage Strategy – Seaton

Southwest Environmental Limited have recently produced a Foul and Surface Water Drainage Strategy for a client in Seaton, Devon.

The report included specification of surface water sewers with calculation for attenuation in line with CIRIA guidance.

Sewers both surface and foul were specified in line with Sewers for Adoption 7.

The strategy took in the account the current sewers on site, and the locality of mains sewers in the area.

Code for Sustainable Homes Pre-Assessment – Barking

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Code for Sustainable Homes Pre-Assessment – Barking

Acting on instructions from a firm of architects SWEL have prepared a Code for Sustainable Homes Pre-Assessment Report for a 30 unit development in Barking, London.

The Project Achieved a very high SAP Rating

The scheme sees the refurbishment of an existing building and a large extension to rear which is new build. The project is required to meet Level 4 in the Code for Sustainable Homes.

In order to assess energy consumption for the development detailed SAP calculations were undertaken. To derived TER and subsequent DER. As well as high levels of fabric energy efficiency the scheme is to use combine heat and power. This will not only provide very low carbon emissions, it also provides scoring benefits under NOX emissions, and low carbon technologies sections of the Code for Sustainable Homes.

Combined heat and power will also provide considerable income for the building management company under the government Renewable Heat Incentive, a tariff which pay on renewable heat energy technologies.

Further Reading:

Barking and Dagenham
Code for Sustainable Homes
NOX Levels from CHP

Ship Recycling Plan – Exeter

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Ship Recycling Plan – Exeter

Whilst undertaking a complex permit application for a ship recycling facility in Exeter, UK. Southwest Environmental Limited were requested to prepare a Ship Recycling Plan.

The ship recycling plan was based on the following guidance, whilst has alterations made for contextual accuracy.


  •  Overview of ship recycling in the UK (DEFRA 2007)
  •  Guidelines for ballast water management and developments of ballast water management plans (International Maritime Organization)
  • Guidelines on Ship Recycling (InternationalMaritime Organization, 2003)
  • Ballast performance standards set by the Convention for the Control and Management of Ship Ballast Water and Sediments (International Maritime Organization, 2004)
  • 2012 Guidelines For Safe And Environmentally Sound Ship Recycling (MEPC)

It was felt that this document could in some way replace the environmental management system, and certainly creates a lot of duplications, but the ship recycling plan was requested as part of the duly made requirements, upon appraisal of the application by the Environment Agency, and so had to be submitted to meet their requirements.

If you require a Ship Recycling Plan for you operation then please get in touch. Contact details are at the top of the page.

Compliance Consultants Exeter

Contaminated Land Review – Exeter

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Acting on instructions from a development company SWEL are to review data relating to the restoration of development site which has seen considerbale quantities of materials imported for use as fill.

Records of imported materials have been well kept and cross referenced with laboratory analysis.

Using our standard generic quantitative assessment methods SWEL are producing a report to assess whether the site is fit for intended use, based on the provided data.

Contaminated Land Consultants Exeter

Flood Risk Assessment – Seaton, Devon

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Flood Risk Assessment – Seaton

Acting on instruction from a local authority Southwest Environmental Limited are to carry out a flood risk assessment for a proposed car car in Seaton, Devon.

The site is within a very complicated area with regards to flooding with recording instances of sewer and river (fluvial) flooding. Owing to the site’s proximity to the sea the action of waves is also important, having to be assessed relevant to the quality of flood defences in the area.

As well as up to date flood data the data ordered also contained various historic data as per above. This is not the not, and is handy as it includes information on the location of sewer flooding.

Flood Risk

Desktop Study – Ealing, London

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Desktop Study – Ealing, London

Southwest Environmental have conducted a desktop study to appraise land contamination at a site in Ealing London, on behalf of a development company.

The site was empty, and currently unused. Histroic searches showed that the site used to be occupied by a cinema.

Although it was thought that there was low risk from contaminated from this use, there were concerns raised over the possible presence of asbestos, and the also the integrity of control measures applied to a sub station in one corner of the site. 

A site investigation was therefore recommended, soil sampling in the area adjcent to the electricy sub staion to test for PCBs and soil sampling else where to test for the presence of asbestos.

Desktop Study London

Flood Warning and Evacuation Plan – Tilbury Essex

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Flood Warning and Evacuation Plan – Tilbury Essex

Southwest Environmental typically include a basic flood warning and evacuation plan within our Standard Flood Risk Assessment Report. However, some times for large multi use developments, in high risk areas a more detailed report is needed.

These Flood Warning and Evacuation Plans have numerous objectives which are listed below:

  • To inform residents and / or site users of likely flood conditions, how deep, will it be fast flowing.
  • To explain the flood warnings issued by the Environment Agency and how to interpret these warning, and act upon them.
  • To describe the location of any safe refuge that may be included within the building. 

A safe refuge is an area assigned within a building that is set above the 1 ;1000 year flood level. Residents or employees can move to this higher area within the building in the event of a flood. They may have to remain in the safe refuge for a number of day so it is important that there is space and facilities available accordant with the anticipated number of occupants.

It was conditioned within the planning approval for the development that a list of provisions be included for the safe refuge store within the Flood Warning and Evacuation Plan, and this was provided based on MSN 1676 a specification for provision in life raft and life boats. Irrelevant equipment was omitted, but by following this guide it was thought a long lasting and useful collection provisions was established on site.

This particular project in Tilbury, Essex require two plans, one for residential site users and one for commercial users.

If you have requirements of this nature with regards to a planning application or a planning condition relating to Flood Warning and Evacuation Plans then please get in touch.