Back in February 2024, dozens of projects designed to harness natural solutions including tree planting and the creation of wetland habitats to reduce flood risk were given the initial go ahead by the Government - including a scheme which will see Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust work with partners including Nottinghamshire County Council, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and Nottingham Trent University to reduce flooding in the Shireoaks and Worksop area. 

The ‘Saving Shireoaks & Worksop through NFM’ project has been funded by the Environment Agency as part of the £25 million Natural Flood Management Programme and will see £1.1million invested in nature-based solutions to increase flood resilience while providing wider benefits to the environment, nature and society. 

Following the development of a detailed business and delivery plan, the Wildlife Trust team is now in place and working with partners and landowners to put the exciting plans into action.

The programme forms part of the Government’s commitment to increasing flood resilience across the country by investing in natural flood management (NFM) processes which either protect, restore, or in some cases mimic, natural functions within floodplains and river catchments, and along our coast, to slow the passage of water and store water away from sensitive areas.  Funding was awarded as part of the largest package of government investment to date in natural flood management schemes – with applications being reviewed by the Environment Agency, Defra and Natural England.

Having long championed the NFM approach, Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust is delighted that our proposal to work with farmers and other landowners has been backed – building on our local relationships and experience gained whilst acting as Catchment Hosts for the River Idle. 

The Trust has appointed an experienced project team to deliver the programme – fresh from successfully delivering the charity’s largest ever river habitat restoration programme – which also included NFM features. The Trust now plans to work closely with local landowners to develop a range of features, including ponds, bunds, leaky barriers, wetland habitat, tree planting and the restoration of floodplain connections to help slow and store water along the catchment upstream of the River Ryton. This will help alleviate the risk of flooding in areas such as Shireoaks, Rhodesia and Worksop – which have been impacted by flooding in recent years.

L-R The project team - Jennifer Kril, Living Rivers Officer at Derbyshire Wildlife Trust with Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust’s Ian Higginson, Ryton NFM Project Manager with team member Lena Olley NFM Ryton Project Officer.

Speaking about the delivery phase of the Scheme, Ryton NFM Project Manager Ian Higginson said: 

“We are very excited to now be able to deliver the project and are already reaching out to local landowners, arranging site visits and looking at nature-based solutions to reduce flood risk across the Ryton catchment. We are very pleased and encouraged by the response of everyone so far and are looking forward to meeting more landowners and communities over the coming months. We are hoping to start initial works on some sites later this year.  With the support of landowners in the catchment we hope to be able to store and slowly release enough floodwater to fill over 30 Olympic sized swimming pools."

As well as reducing flood risk, this approach helps deliver new wetlands and ponds which provide important habitat within the catchment - these features also provide opportunities for sediment to settle, improving water quality. As well as providing habitat for species such as amphibians and the threatened water vole, ponds and wetlands can also provide ideal spawning area for fish. 

As we face up to the challenge of tackling the climate and nature crises and look for more sustainable and affordable solutions to prevent flooding from damaging homes and business premises, this latest support for Natural Flood Management is very welcome. In addition to embracing natural solutions, this approach harnesses the benefits of partnership – with charities and councils collaborating with landowners to develop and deliver schemes that help the wider community.

Ian added:

“Hopefully, the scale of investment in this and other NFM projects across the country will go a long way to ensuring that natural techniques become much more widely used to tackle the increasing frequency and severity of flooding – complementing more traditional engineered defences such as flood walls. The funding will help protect people, property and businesses from the impacts of flooding whilst helping boost groundwater stores, protecting valuable soils, locking away carbon and enhancing greenspaces for communities. By embracing natural solutions, we can make our landscape and our towns and cities much more climate resilient whilst putting nature into recovery.”

Jennifer Kril, Living Rivers Officer at Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, added:

“Derbyshire Wildlife Trust is thrilled to be working with landowners, local communities and partners to implement nature-based solutions with a catchment-scale approach to help reduce flood risk downstream in Nottinghamshire, and across the river catchment. By creating space for water and wildlife, we’re not only helping protect communities but also building a wilder, more resilient landscape for the future.”