Gorrell’s Tank

Browne’s has proudly partnered with many of the UK’s leading water companies over the past 20 years. Among them, Southern Water remains one of our largest and most valued clients and we’re proud to be a preferred partner on their framework.

Our services are extensive and varied, covering everything from scaffold design, erection, dismantling, delivery, and hire to the adoption and modification of existing structures. In addition, we provide rescue services, continuous Health and Safety monitoring and detailed reporting across all our active sites within the South East region. Our support even extends beyond scaffolding, with building and office maintenance, as well as refurbishment works, [see our latest news] forming part of our offering.

One of our most significant joint projects is the Gorrell Tank in Whitstable. A complex scheme that began in 2012. This project required us to design and construct load-bearing design scaffolding around the 180 concrete columns, which support the public car park located directly above the tank.

As the principal contractor operating within this challenging confined space since 2024, we conduct thorough five-day inspections, twice a month. To support the project further, we maintain a mobile office on site, with our staff operating the sluice gate to empty the tank when tidal conditions permit.

At Browne’s we always try to go above and beyond for our clients and so have worked closely with Southern Water’s Customer Engagement Teams throughout this project and engaged directly with local harbour businesses to keep them informed of our activities. Additionally, we have worked closely with Southern Water to design and deliver joint communications, keeping nearby residents informed and updated during the various phases of the works particularly when access restrictions were in place. We also consulted with Canterbury Council to support these affected customers, arranging for free parking in the car park during periods of road closures.

The project, although still ongoing, has been a major success with hugely positive feedback from the SWS Capital Projects team.