Safeguarding communities and farmland from flooding with a new fish friendly pumping station

Hobhole Pumping Station

Hobhole Pumping Station is an ageing diesel-powered facility that was built in the 1950s. It requires a vital infrastructure upgrade to continue protecting over 5,000 homes, 3,350 other properties, and almost 30,000 hectares (74,132 acres) of agricultural land, road and rail infrastructure from flooding across a lowland district of Lincolnshire.

The Witham Fourth Internal Drainage Board (W4IDB) embarked on a multi-million-pound capital project to construct a modern efficient pumping station, incorporating some of the first fish friendly horizontal axial flow pumps in the UK. They commissioned our team through Perfect Circle under the SCAPE Consultancy Framework to lead the feasibility, outline design, and now detailed design stages of this project. We are also preparing an outline business case for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) grant-in-aid funding. This will cover hydraulic catchment modelling, economic assessment, consenting, and engagement.

Located adjacent to an intertidal Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) designated as valuable bird habitat, the project faces significant environmental and logistical challenges. Despite these complexities, the new pumping station project is moving forward through careful coordination and innovative delivery approaches. When complete, the pumping station will maintain critical flood protection, safeguard farmland for food production, and support long-term community safety and economic stability.