Esh Construction secures the main contract for £3.7m flood alleviation scheme

The contract will see the company’s civil engineering division, Lumsden and Carroll, construct two large storm-water pumping stations on the banks of the Humber in East Yorkshire on behalf of its client, the Ouse and Humber Drainage Board (OHDB).

The new pumps have a combined capacity of 2.4 tonnes of water per second, together capable of emptying four Olympic sized swimming pools in just over an hour. The work is in direct response to climate change.

Land drainage systems originally built in the 18th-century struggle to discharge at low tide because of sea level rise and therefore need help during heavy rainfall.

Steven Conn, divisional director of Civil Engineering at Esh Construction, said: “This is great news for East Yorkshire. The new stations will reduce flood risk to over 1,000 properties and some of the most productive farmland in the county. These works are going to make a difference to people’s lives and livelihoods.”

With 1000 people employed across the North, Esh offers multi-disciplined construction activities across civil engineering, commercial /public build, house building, facilities management, fencing & landscaping, plumbing, plant hire, specialist remediation and training.

It's great to get this scheme get underway, early contractor involvement has been key to scheme progress, I am especially pleased that ESH has been able to commission local subcontractors to help deliver parts of this scheme.

Andrew McLachlan, Chief Executive of the OHDB