Cumbria Flood Resilience Project – Botcherby Community Centre, Carlisle

RTC were proud to take part in a pioneering flood resilience project in Cumbria, which received national recognition by winning the Environment Agency’s Project Excellence Award for Climate Resilience. This groundbreaking initiative aimed to transform three properties into showcases of flood resilience, helping communities understand practical solutions to mitigate flood damage.

The first property to be completed was Botcherby Community Centre in Carlisle, a facility that had been severely damaged during Storm Desmond on 5th December 2015 and had remained largely unusable since. This project was supported by the North West Regional Flood and Coastal Committee (RFCC), the Environment Agency, and flood resilience expert Mary Dhonau OBE.

Botcherby Community Centre suffered extensive damage from floodwaters during Storm Desmond, leaving the facility inoperable and vulnerable to future flood events. The kitchen area, vital to the centre’s operation, required a complete overhaul to ensure it could withstand future floods with minimal disruption and downtime. The challenge was to install effective and durable flood resilience measures while maintaining a functional and welcoming environment for the community.

RTC, working in collaboration with flood resilience campaigner Mary Dhonau OBE and using specialist products from Safeguard Europe Limited, carried out a full flood resilience system installation in the centre’s kitchen. The objective was to create a space that could recover quickly from flooding and continue to serve the community with minimal restoration effort.

Key measures included:

• Stormdry Masonry Protection Cream
  Applied to the external walls up to 1.2 metres, this cream creates a breathable, water-repellent barrier to prevent future water ingress through brickwork.
• Uni-Mortar 1 Joint Fill Compound
  Applied at the vulnerable floor-to-wall junction to seal and strengthen this common weak point in flood-prone buildings.
• Dryzone Damp Resistant Plaster Flood System
  This plaster system is both waterproof and salt retardant, with a porous structure that allows rapid drying after flooding.
• Dryzone Drygrip Waterproof Adhesive Express Flood System
  A quick-replace plasterboard system using waterproof adhesive, designed for minimal disruption during flood recovery.
• Dryzone Hi-Lime Finishing Plaster
  Used to skim the walls, this high-lime finish is durable and compatible with flood-resilient base layers.

Drybase Liquid-Applied DPM
Two coats were applied to the floor, forming a flexible and elastic waterproof membrane once cured.

The flood resilience upgrades to Botcherby Community Centre marked a significant step forward in demonstrating what can be done to protect properties and communities from flooding. The installation not only restored functionality to a vital community space but set a precedent for similar projects nationwide. The success of the project was widely recognised, with coverage by BBC News and visits from government ministers and politicians.

RTC were honoured to be part of this landmark initiative, showing what’s possible when expert solutions and community commitment come together. This case serves as a compelling example of how practical flood resilience measures can safeguard vulnerable properties and help communities recover more rapidly from future flooding events.

Always choose members of the Property Care Association (PCA) for specialist flood remediation works.