As part of Flood Action Week (13-19 October), communities across Lincolnshire are being urged to plan ahead this autumn to reduce the impact flooding may have on their homes and businesses.
In Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, more than 263,000 properties are at risk of flooding. Communities are warned not to be complacent despite continuing dry weather in the region.
The dry conditions of recent months mean that the ground is hard and compacted, increasing the risk of localised surface water flooding.
Members of the public can:
- check their long-term flood risk using the Environment Agency’s free service
- sign up for flood warnings by phone, text or email
- take steps to protect themselves from future flooding, including preparing a flood kit.
Work led by Environment Agency and its partners in Lincolnshire to manage flood risk includes:
- major refurbishment of Boston’s Grand Sluice
- natural flood management (NFM) solutions, which are often used in rural areas
- roll-out of property flood resilience (PFR) measures.
NFM uses natural processes to reduce the risk of flooding. These processes protect, restore, and mimic the natural functions of catchments, floodplains and the coast to slow and store water. Recent examples include flood storage wetland in Brigstock, Northamptonshire, specialist ponds in Swaton, Lincolnshire and floodplain reconnection in Grantham, Lincolnshire.
PFR is a set of modifications added to a building to lower its flood risk. It can reduce flood damage and speed up recovery after a flood. The Environment Agency is supporting roll-out of PFR at Harpers Court in Brigstock which is home to a community of vulnerable residents.
Morgan Wray, Area Flood and Coastal Risk Manager for the Environment Agency in Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, said: “We know the devastating impact that flooding can have, which is why protecting people and communities is our top priority. We are working to reduce flood risk through Natural Flood Management and schemes like the Boston Barrier and the refurbishment of Boston’s Grand Sluice. We urge members of the public to check their flood risk, sign up for flood warnings and to follow the advice to protect themselves from future flooding.”
In Lincolnshire, the Environment Agency provided advice and support to a landscape recovery pilot project being delivered by Nattergal at their site near Grantham. This summer they have fully re-connected a section of the River West Glen with its floodplain, making more space for water. This is the first in a number of planned phases of river restoration, all of which should help reduce flood risk for the small village of Lower Bitchfield.
Swaton, Threekingham and Spanby is home to a Natural Flood Management scheme which consists of 5 specialist attenuation ponds across 3 farms. They have the capability to hold back approximately 22,000 cubic metres of flood water, equivalent to 9 Olympic sized swimming pools. There are also 29 field-edge swales which are 2- to 4-metre-wide strips which intercept water flowing over the land. The swales have the capacity to hold back approximately 26,000 cubic metres of flood water, the equivalent of another 10 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
