Lanes surveys drainage system at iconic Swan Hunter site

Lanes for Drains engineers have carried out a full survey of the drainage system at the former Swan Hunter shipyard on Tyneside.

Two kilometres of drainage line have been inspected and mapped in one of the biggest clean and survey projects carried out by Lanes for Drains’ Tyne & Wear depot in recent years.

The 60-acre Wallsend site is now a major regeneration area, and forms part of a wider plan to create thousands of new jobs on the North Bank of the Tyne.

Lanes for Drains, the UK’s largest independent drainage specialist, was called in by Capita Symonds which  involved in helping prepare the site for development.

Trevor Sawyer, Area Development Manager for Lanes for Drains, said: “We were very pleased to have had the opportunity to work on such an important and iconic site.

“It is a large area with a complex drainage system, built up over a number of years, but we have the expertise and capacity to tackle these kinds of projects effectively.”

The work involved carrying out a full site and surrounding area CCTV drainage survey using the latest technology, including HD robotic cameras and specialist jet vac tankers.

Trevor said: “We had teams on site for two weeks. Over two kilometres of drain line were surveyed and more than 75 manholes lifted and inspected. It’s one of the largest projects we’ve carried out in recent years.

“As a result of our work, we were able to provide the client with a detailed map of the drainage system, identifying water flows, the type of drainage infrastructure in place, its condition and potential blockage risks.

“Carrying out such a survey is a vital step in the development of any site. It is an essential building block in the regeneration of the Swan Hunter site.”

Until recent years, the cranes of the Swan Hunter shipyard were a famous landmark along the Tyne. Its workers built two of the Royal Navy’s most famous modern aircraft carriers, HMS Ark Royal and HMS Illustrious.

The shipyard finally closed in 2006 after a 130-year history of ship building.

The site is now at the centre of the new North East Low Carbon Enterprise Zone, which aims to deliver growth in the off-shore wind energy sector and other renewable energy technologies, plus oil and gas exploration and extraction, and advance subsea manufacturing.