Oakley Industrial Services has received £174k in government tax relief after perfecting a method for fixing underground stormwater tanks
The use of ‘attenuation tanks’ — which collect water following large weather events — store rainwater to prevent localised flooding around buildings as the water table rises. However, they can be rendered useless if damaged and are very difficult to repair because they are buried 5 metres underground and are constantly filling up with water.
Oakley Industrial Services set about devising a safe way of repairing these tanks without having to unearth them, which is very expensive and time-consuming.
The team was led by managing director Peter Clarke, who has more than 25 years’ construction and engineering experience — and was once a mechanic for Formula 1 and Formula 3 racing teams.
Attenuation tank project
They had to find a way of repairing the fibreglass tanks without water filling up around the repair. They hit on the idea that if they systematically piled holes 30cm in diameter every two metres around the tank to a depth of 5m, a system of powerful pumps and hoses could remove enough water for the tank to remain drained.
Unlike existing methods of repair, the team also had to wear breathing apparatus connected by hose to the surface, much like deep-sea divers, because they were operating so far from the surface, and the atmosphere was constantly measured by gas monitors.
The firm, based in Corby, Northamptonshire, specialises in roof gulley and maintenance, fall protection, drain jetting, interceptors, and façade maintenance.
The attenuation tank project was just one of the innovations that Oakley embarked on that netted the company £174,494 in R&D tax benefits over the course of two years.
The company also developed a new gulley system for a commercial warehouse, a lighting system for a pharmaceutical firm and a see-through balustrade 3km in length that prevents visitors, and particularly children, from falling in a Northampton lake.
The way the balustrade had to be cantered backwards to prevent climbing posed significant challenges and required newly designed stanchions that could meet the required strength. Oakley says it’s so strong that if a car was driven into it at 50mph, the vehicle would be stopped in its tracks.
Government R&D tax relief
R&D tax relief was introduced by the government in 2000 to incentivise innovation and results in either a reduction in a limited company’s corporation tax bill or a cash lump sum. Many firms don’t realise the work they do qualifies as R&D, which is defined as any work that seeks to resolve a scientific or technological uncertainty, whether that’s a new process, product or service. Crucially, R&D work does not need to have been successful to qualify and claims can be made up to two years beyond the end of the tax year in which the work took place.
Peter Clarke, Managing Director, Oakley Industrial Services, said:
“We’ve spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on these innovations. The stormwater tank project was particularly important to the industry because the work involved in fixing these tanks has been colossal in the past. They have to be unearthed, drained, fixed and repaired at considerable cost. The money and man hours involved are staggering.
“It felt good to be able to finally offer the sector a solution to this problem and adoption has been very quick indeed. At the time, though, we had no idea the project would qualify for tax credits but we’ve been able to plough all this money back into the business.”
Kully Nijjar, Associate Director of specialist R&D tax consultancy Catax, commented:
“Peter and his team have solved a pressing need for developments everywhere. This is a perfect example of how the tax credit regime can reward companies who are prepared to enter virgin territory and improve the technological solutions available to an entire industry. This was important work and they thoroughly deserve recognition for it.”
