Douglas Swinbanks

I am a Member of the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM), a Principal Flood Risk Engineer and Hydrologist based in Edinburgh, and I lead Aegaea’s Scotland branch. Since 2013 I’ve worked at the intersection of engineering and environmental disciplines - on everything from single-dwelling Flood Risk Assessments through to national infrastructure programmes, across all 32 Scottish local authority regions. That has given me a detailed understanding of Scottish planning policy, NPF4 and SEPA requirements, which allows me to help a wide range of clients obtain permissions and consents and steer projects towards a clear path to approval.

I’ve designed the SuDS drainage system for one of Scotland’s largest single residential consents (the 3,000+ home Durieshill development outside Stirling, on a 590-acre site), led the 1D-2D fluvial modelling and Surface Water Management Plan that underpin the town of Oban’s flood protection, project-managed a nationwide FRA and evacuation plan rollout across the Scottish Fire Service estate, and produced SURF Award-nominated VR visualisations for river restoration work on the South Calder Water.

My experience and involvement across the country has put me in front of a wide cross-section of development forms, and has given me a sharp instinct for what looks compliant, and what tends to get objected to.

How I can help you

• Scottish Policy Expertise: I’ve delivered planning-stage flood risk and drainage work across all 32 Scottish local authorities, and bring a working knowledge of NPF4, CAR/EASR, SEPA flood mapping and local development plan variations to every commission.
• Strategic Project Management & Bid Co-ordination: I act as a single point of accountability for delivery, managing scope, programme and client communications from initial enquiry through to consent, and I co-ordinate Aegaea’s input into multi-disciplinary bids, frameworks and tenders.
• 1D-2D Hydraulic Modelling: I’ve got extensive experience in producing 1D and 1D-2D linked flood models in both ICM and Flood Modeller to assess both fluvial and pluvial flood dynamics, including coupled multi-source studies where the flood story isn’t simple.
• Drainage and SuDS Design: I deliver both outline and detailed surface water drainage strategies in InfoDrainage, with storage sizing, treatment trains and adoption-ready outputs aligned to Sewers for Scotland 4 and Scottish Water requirements.

Expertise in action

• Kingdom Hall, Inverness: Project Manager and Authoriser of the Flood Risk Assessment and 1D-2D hydraulic modelling report supporting Green Cat Renewables and the Kingdom Hall Trust’s planning application for a new place of worship on land south-west of Culduthel Avenue. The site sat in a constrained Highland catchment requiring a bespoke modelling approach, and the planning permission was granted in early 2026 following SEPA’s removal of their objection.
• BESS Site, Parkhouse Road, Glasgow: Project Manager and Authoriser of the Flood Risk Assessment and Drainage Impact Assessment supporting Apatura’s planning application - coordinated through AAH Planning - for a 24MW battery energy storage facility at Parkhouse Road, Barrhead. The commission included direct hydraulic modelling engagement with Glasgow City Council’s Flood Risk Management team to respond to FRM holding comments and unlock the consent.
• Single-Dwelling Coastal-Fluvial FRA, North Connel: Author and Lead Modeller of the Flood Risk Assessment and hydraulic modelling supporting a new dwelling at North Connel on the shore of Loch Etive. The site required a combined fluvial-coastal assessment with a tidal downstream boundary condition, sensitivity testing for higher boundaries, and structure blockage runs against the 1-in-200-year event as per SEPA requirements at the time of publication
• Ravenscraig Residential and Commercial Sites, Motherwell: Project Manager and Authoriser for the Flood Risk Assessment supporting McTaggart Construction’s residential development on Prospecthill Road, Ravenscraig - coordinated through Clyde Design Partnership. The commission included multiple revisions through 2025 to keep the FRA aligned with iterative site layout updates and the November 2025 update to SEPA’s national flood maps.
• Telecommunications and Generation Infrastructure, Highlands: Project Manager for paired Flood Risk Assessments supporting telecommunications and electricity generation infrastructure at Glensheil Estate, Sheil Bridge and at Loch Garry, Craganour Estate. Delivered on identical 17 September deadlines, both projects required careful screening of fluvial, pluvial and reservoir sources in remote Highland catchments with limited baseline data.
• Woodland Cabins, Dunoon: Author of the Outline Surface Water Drainage Strategy for a 5-cabin overnight tourism development with associated decking, parking and access works on the Cowal peninsula, a site requiring an integrated SuDS approach to manage runoff from forested, undeveloped ground.
• Workshop Development, Milngavie: Project Manager and Author for the Flood Risk Assessment, hydraulic model and Detailed Surface Water Drainage Strategy supporting the erection of a new workshop at Riverside, Milngavie. Delivered an integrated FRA-modelling-drainage package on a single industrial site within East Dunbartonshire’s planning area.
• Cottage Redevelopment, Isle of Coll: Author of the Flood Risk Assessment supporting alterations to an existing cottage with overnight accommodation on the Isle of Coll. The commission was instructed and delivered inside a single working week to meet the client’s tight planning submission deadline.
• Glamping Pods, Callander: Author and modeller for the Flood Risk Assessment, hydrology and hydraulic modelling supporting 4 glamping pods within the Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park. The project moved through multiple iterations to address a SEPA holding query on screen blockage sensitivity at a gated structure upstream of the site, resolved through additional structure blockage testing and a fully-surveyed updated model.
• EV Charging Drive-Thru, Aberdeen: Project Manager and Authoriser for the Flood Risk Assessment and Surface Water Drainage Strategy supporting conversion of an existing warehouse at Grampian House, Virginia Street into an indoor drive-through EV charging station with 12 charging bays, a retail unit and LV substation. Delivered to a tight planning deadline in central Aberdeen.
• Independent Review for Orkney Islands Council: Engaged directly by Orkney Islands Council as an independent reviewer of the Hydrogeological Impact Assessment, Civils, and Flood Risk Assessment supporting multiple developments. I assembled and led a specialist sub-consultant team to provide the council’s technical assurance through to determination of the planning applications.

A bit about me

When the weather plays ball I head home to the Isle of Mull for a day on the water, and outside the UK I’ll happily travel a long way for a shot at a tarpon in the Florida Keys. For something completely different, I competed on the BBC’s Survivor UK in 2023 - which, as it turns out, is surprisingly decent training for staying calm under pressure and managing tight deadlines on very little food and sleep!