County in pilot flooding scheme

A new pilot scheme to understand more about flood plains is to start in Staffordshire. It will examine if environmentally friendly ways of managing rural land can reduce the risk of flooding downstream.

The three-year exercise will be funded by Defra

The findings of the Farming Floodplains for the Future project, hosted by the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, will then be used as a basis for national policy.

Managing flood risk over recent decades has mainly focused on engineering, resulting in degraded rivers and the loss of wetland habitats. The cost of maintaining defences, particularly with the potential influence of climate change, is increasing so the project is looking at more innovative and sustainable ways of managing flood waters.

The project will cover the catchments of the rivers Sow and Penk, plus a section of the Trent.

Working with the Sow and Penk Drainage Board and the local landowning community, it will look across the catchments at managing the farmed landscape and ways that will store water and slow its flow downstream - while at the same time providing habitats for a range of wildlife.

Approaches will include creation of new wetlands, and alterations to ditch maintenance practices.

Matt Jones, Wetlands Officer at Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, said: "This is an exciting opportunity. I am looking forward to working with a range of people on innovative habitat management projects."