Grounds for discussion

Last month we offered one copy of the CIRIA guide Development and Flood Risk as a prize to the first person who answered a moderately challenging quiz question*. Quite a few members wrote in, but the first with the correct answer was Jan Bialek BIAT ICIOB. Ever curious to learn more about our readers, we got to thinking: what does he do and why does he need this book? The answer was interesting. It turns out he looks after Althorp House in Northamptonshire, seat of the Spencer family, of which HRH Diana, Princess of Wales, was the most famous member. Jan writes:

“The book is very useful in my job as we have a diverse range of building projects on the go at any one time. In addition to looking after Althorp House and the Stable Block, we also look after some 200 cottages, commercial and farm buildings on three estates.

The work varies from every day repairs, maintenance and refurbishment to converting redundant farm buildings into offices or dwellings with associated access roads, car parking and hard landscaping. All these require careful consideration with regard to how we dispose and manage surface water.”