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Flood Risk Assessment – La Reserve Hotel

STM Environmental’s Flood and Drainage team recently completed an extensive study on behalf of Blackhampton Business/Realty Estates for the proposed reconstruction of La Reserve Hotel, Fulham. As part of the planning application to Hammersmith and Fulham Borough Council (HFBC), the client required a Flood Risk Assessment and Surface Water Drainage Strategy. The outcome of these assessments was to ensure that the flood risk to the proposal remained low and complied with the Council’s policy of surface water run-off and provided betterment to the local flood risk as a result.

The study demanded a full assessment of the current and future flood risk to the new hotel, taking into account the risks of over-topping and breaching of the flood defences along the River Thames. Data provided by the Environment Agency, in combination with STM’s advanced GIS mapping software, allowed the potential impacts of extreme flooding to be quantified and defended against. STM’s knowledge of hydraulic and geomorphology was used to demonstrate that the proposed hotel would remain flood free, evening during the 1 in 100 year River Thames breach scenario. Such an assessment satisfied the requirements of HFBC and showed that even the basement level of the proposal would remain dry during the design flood event.

 

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A comprehensive and detailed Surface Water Drainage Strategy was devised to reduce the rates of surface water run-off to the predicted greenfield rates. STM worked closely and cooperatively with the client’s architects to ensure that the surface water management was in keeping with the design of the hotel and facilitated the unhindered commercial operations of the site. A green roof and permeable-paving forecourt was designed with the architect to minimise the visual impact of the strategy whilst providing sustainable drainage benefits to the proprietors and local community. Close relations with the relevant drainage engineers at HFBC facilitated effective communication between parties, ensuring that the project was completed in-time and, most importantly, to a standard that gained planning permission.

STM’s experience of flood risk within central London and their knowledge of surface water drainage SuDS systems enabled a quick turn-around and allowed for flexibility and alterations to the design and drainage strategy.