Supplying flood gates to the Environment Agency on the Carlisle Flood Alleviation Scheme 2008 Defence Doors Ltd has secured the contract for the design, manufacture and installation of a series of steel flood gates to be used in the major works on the Carlisle flood defence scheme.

Carlisle has a significant history of flooding with serious events since 1963 up to the most recent and most publicised flood event 2005 when 1844 properties were flooded power and telephone connections were disrupted and roads and rail links were closed.

The Environment Agency carried out risk assessments identifying the main areas requiring flood protection from The Eden and Petteril, Caldew and Low Crosby. Complex design was undertaken to develop a series flood defences with the construction of new embankments and flood defence walls incorporating steel flood gates.


Working closely with the Environment Agency for over 15 years managing director of Defence Doors Ltd Mr Shane Turrell designed and developed a range of "standard floodgates" both single and double leaf units for pedestrian and vehicular for access through flood defence walls.

Defence Doors standard designs have now progressed to forth generation floodgates with additional features in 2008 for the latest Environment Agency requirements. In areas of heavy traffic the thresholds are now installed as flat stainless steel plates removing potential trip hazards for pedestrians with no requirement to raise or drop the base seal. The steelwork is protected by a high build epoxy paint system to ensure long life of the gate.

A new latching system with copyright protection has been designed and built by Defence Doors Ltd enabling the operation of single leaf gates up to six meters in length to be opened and closed in less then two minutes with the operation achievable by a single person in normal weather conditions with very little effort and using a simple tool that remains securely stored inside the gate leaf.