News
NFM Update: Wootton Brook catchment
We’re proud to be delivering a series of natural flood management (NFM) projects across the Wootton Brook catchment. The aim is to help reduce flood risk, improve biodiversity and work with nature to make communities more flood resilient. Here’s a brief update on what we’ve been working on:
🌱 Penvale Park, East Hunsbury: A series of bunds and leaky dams have been completed in partnership with East Hunsbury Parish Council. These help to hold back excess water during periods of heavy rain, reducing flood risk to nearby homes.
🌿 Quinton: We’re currently developing an exciting large-scale NFM scheme that could be our largest scheme yet. The current plans focus on the creation of new wetland areas, ponds, bunds and extensive tree planting. It’s in the feasibility stage with aspirations to break ground in 2026. We will share updates as this progresses.
🌳Upper Catchment Forest Work: In collaboration with the Environment Agency and Forestry England, we’re planning works to slow the flow in woodland areas. This includes tree hinging, gully stuffing & ‘beaver-mimicking’ features. The works will be take place over 2025 & 2026, with research currently taking place on the best approach.
🌼Horton: Agricultural land on a farm near Horton have been transformed into species-rich grasslands to improve soil health & increase water storage in the field, improving resilience. The mix has been specifically selected to help attract birds.
🌧️ Horton: The farm is also creating wetland scrapes to hold water during storms, reducing pressure on the neighbouring brook.
🌲Tree and Hedgerow Planting, Wootton & East Hunsbury: As part of WNC’s Tree Strategy launch, 20 large standard Elms were planted in the catchment with support from Wild about Wootton, WNC Rangers, Cllr Breese and our project team. The trees were funded and organised by RAIN. We’ve also delivered trees for Blacky More Park and hedgerow planting across the catchment, and supply trees to Grange parish.
🐝SuDS in Schools: In addition to engineered NFM programmes, we’ve been exploring opportunities for Sustainable Drainage Solutions using innovative planters to capture rainwater & ease pressure on local drainage networks. We have so far installed planters in six primary schools in the catchment, thanks to a partnership with Anglian Water Services, and are researching the potential of adding another in a community-based setting.
We’re excited to be progressing these nature-based solutions and will share updates as each project moves forward.
As ever, a big thank you to our project team, partners, the parish councils, local landowners and communities for your continued support.
Want to learn more about Natural Flood Management?
To help explain what these projects involve, and how they’re making a difference, we’ve created a leaflet that gives a simple, easy-to-understand overview of our work.
Whether you’ve spotted activity near your village or you’re just curious to learn more, the leaflet offers a snapshot of:
🌿 What Natural Flood Management is
📍 Where our key project locations are
💧 How features like wetlands, leaky dams, re-meandering rivers and cover cropping all work to slow and store water
🐦 The wider environmental benefits for habitats, soil and biodiversity.
These projects form part of our catchment-wide, nature-based approach to flood resilience, working in harmony with local landowners, farmers, communities and schools
👉 Download a copy of the leaflet here.
If you have any questions, we’d love to hear from you: rain@westnorthants.gov.uk.
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The RAIN Project is funded by Defra as part of the £200 million Flood and Coastal Innovation Programmes, which is managed by the Environment Agency. The programmes will drive innovation in flood and coastal resilience and adaptation to a changing climate.
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