Phoenix Design Partnership provided flood risk and civil engineering services for the 167-home Brue Place development in Highbridge, Somerset, delivered on behalf of the Barratt Homes and Bloor Homes joint venture. The site forms part of the wider Brue Farm strategic allocation, comprising approximately 550 homes.
- Client:
- Barratt Homes & Bloor Homes (Joint Venture)
- Role:
- Flood Risk and Civil Engineering Consultant
- Services:
- Flood Risk Assessment, Highways, Drainage, Earthworks and Plot Design
- Value:
- In excess of £50 million
Phoenix prepared a site-specific Flood Risk Assessment and drainage strategy based on the principles established for the strategic development, whilst tailoring the design to meet the requirements of the Brue Place scheme. Situated adjacent to the River Brue and protected by existing flood defences, the development incorporated carefully considered level-raising to enhance flood resilience and provide an additional margin of safety.
Working collaboratively with the Lead Local Flood Authority and the Internal Drainage Board, Phoenix developed a sustainable drainage strategy that restricts surface water discharge to greenfield runoff rates while providing storage to accommodate tide-lock conditions within the River Brue. The SuDS network comprises attenuation ponds, swales and conveyance ditches, creating an integrated blue-green infrastructure that delivers flood attenuation, water quality treatment and valuable ecological and landscape benefits.
Phoenix designed the Section 278 highway works, including a new four-arm compact roundabout on the A38 Huntspill Road, providing a safe and efficient gateway to the development while facilitating future connectivity to the wider Brue Farm strategic allocation via a new spine road and shared pedestrian and cycle route.
The practice also delivered the foul and surface water drainage design for the development. Foul drainage connects to the Wessex Water network via a new pumping station, while the surface water drainage network discharges to the SuDS system through a carefully optimised arrangement of smaller diameter sewers and multiple discharge locations, reducing the need for excessive site level raising.
Detailed plot engineering, finished floor levels and private drainage were designed to ensure practical external spaces, robust drainage performance and full compliance with Building Regulations.
Through the integration of flood risk management, sustainable drainage, highways and civil engineering design, Phoenix has helped deliver a resilient, sustainable and well-connected residential development that responds to both current needs and the future growth of the wider Brue Farm community.