Hobhole Pumping Station

Sector: Water and Wastewater

Framework: SCAPE Consultancy framework

Client: Witham Fourth Internal Drainage Board

Location: Lincolnshire, UK

“Our innovative solutions must leave a lasting and sustainable legacy in the environments and communities that we cherish.”

Simon Darch

Director, Stantec

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

Hobhole Pumping Station is an ageing diesel-powered facility built in the 1950s. It requires a vital infrastructure upgrade to continue providing flood protection to over 5,000 homes, 3,350 other properties, and almost 37,000 hectares (91,000 acres) of agricultural land, roads and rail infrastructure across a lowland district of Lincolnshire.

The Witham Fourth Internal Drainage Board has embarked on a multi-million-pound capital project to construct a modern, efficient pumping station. Stantec was commissioned through Perfect Circle through the SCAPE Consultancy framework to deliver civil engineer project management, flood risk and drainage management, structural engineering and urban drainage and flood engineering services for the project.

The project will incorporate some of the first fish-friendly horizontal axial-flow pumps in the UK. These pumps are specially designed water pumps that move large volumes of water while allowing fish to pass through safely, helping protect local wildlife and ecosystems.

In addition to leading the feasibility, outline design and detailed design stages of this project, Stantec is also preparing an outline business case to secure grant-in-aid funding from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). This work will involve modelling how water flows across the area, assessing the economic benefits of the project, supporting the permissions process and engaging with key stakeholders.

The station sits beside an intertidal Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), a protected coastal area that provides vital habitat for birds. This creates both environmental and logistical challenges that must be carefully managed throughout the project.

Despite the complexities, the project is progressing through careful coordination and innovative delivery approaches. When complete, the new pumping station will maintain critical flood protection, safeguard farmland for food production and support long-term community safety and economic stability.