Assisting Skanska and Network Rail with major rail infrastructure works on the West Coast Main Line near Penrith
Create is proud to have supported contractor Skanska UK with environmental and flood risk consultancy services in connection with demolition and replacement works to a major West Coast Main Line railway bridge near Penrith, spanning the M6 motorway – and recently demolished, as covered by New Civil Engineer.
The major infrastructure works formed part of a complex Network Rail scheme, delivered within a tightly controlled programme and involving the demolition of the existing bridge during a planned motorway closure, followed by its replacement with a new concrete structure. The project has required careful coordination to manage environmental risk, drainage and flood resilience throughout the construction phase.
Our Water & Flood Risk team was appointed in February 2025 to support Skanska with the preparation of Environment Agency (EA) permits and flood risk documentation associated with a temporary construction works compound at Clifton, Penrith. Our scope included the preparation of a Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) and technical input to support an EA Discharge of Water Permit (DoWP) application, required for the controlled discharge of treated surface water from the compound into a tributary of the River Lowther.
The works compound was located on greenfield land within the jurisdiction of Westmorland and Furness Unitary Authority, acting as both Local Planning Authority and Lead Local Flood Authority. Our assessments considered flood risk from all relevant sources, including fluvial, surface water, and groundwater flooding, alongside the potential environmental impacts of temporary construction-phase drainage.
Tracey Tooke and Claire Burroughs, our EA permit experts, undertook the drafting of the FRA and supporting documentation for the permits. They prepared the required documents and forms in line with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) and EA standing advice. They assessed flood risk during construction and advised on mitigation measures to ensure the safe operation of the construction compound for the works without increasing flood risk, or environmental harm elsewhere. This included consideration of site layout, drainage strategy, climate change allowances, and risk management.
Create’s technical input helped ensure regulatory compliance, environmental protection and risk management were fully addressed.
“I found Create, Claire and Tracey, to be very helpful, informative and flexible working with the changes in design as and when they became apparent. Your added assistance for the EIA scoping was also very welcome, and I believe was a critical step in allowing the project to start on time to ensure the blockade could be met.”
Michael Greenwood, Assistant Environmental Sustainability Manager at Skanska UK
