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3D visualisation of a river with bridges and buildings

Sustainability

Water

Langholm Flood Protection Scheme

To protect Langholm from future flooding, we produced an outline design of a sustainable flood protection scheme for Dumfries and Galloway Council that will attract grant aid from the Scottish Government.

Key details

Project
Langholm Flood Protection Scheme

Client
Dumfries and Galloway Council

Location
Langholm, Dumfries, Scotland

Services provided

Hydrology analysis
Hydraulic modelling
Environmental scoping
WFD Assessment
Baseline natural flood management assessment
Optioneering
Cost benefit analysis
Outline design
Public/stakeholder consultation

Challenge

With the aim of mitigating future flooding of the community, we produced a sustainable flood protection scheme.

Langholm town is built up close along the watercourses, leaving a limited area to provide a defence between the watercourse and the affected properties. The challenge is to ensure any solution is incorporated into the existing townscape in the most sympathetic and unobtrusive way.

View of the river, bridges, houses for flood protection

Solution

An option appraisal process has been carried out and with stakeholder engagement, a preferred option has been identified. Throughout the process we have engaged with all interested parties through Community Council meetings, stakeholder meetings and community engagement events.

The optimum solution to protect the community against the design flood event was identified based on the technical, economic, social and environmental impacts. This solution consists of a 701m concrete flood wall, 549m of piled wall, 931m embankment, 200m overflow channel along with an emergency plan and traffic management plan.

Grassed embankments will be used where possible to soften the appearance of the defences. The flood walls will be appropriately clad to blend in with existing local structures and have glass panels to ensure views of the rivers are still readily available. Access points will be provided along the rivers to ensure the local community access to the rivers to enjoy the natural amenity.

Virtual reality modelling

In order to aid community engagement and understanding of the proposed mitigation measures we produced a 3D model using virtual reality.

Based on a flood study we had previously carried out in Langholm, we updated the hydrological analysis with recent storm event data and further developed the hydraulic model. After completing the outline design of the preferred option, we are currently producing the scheme drawings and documentation to gain confirmation of the scheme through the Flood Order process.