Flood Prevention in Action

Flood Prevention in Action.

Most recently Tattenhall certainly felt the wrath of Storm Babet.

Many of you will be aware that at least three gateways into the village were flooded, with road closures.

So how did the Natural Flood Management initiatives on China Meadow (Phase 2A) help prevent flooding in the heart of the village last weekend? In context, Phase 2A (completed 2021) has the capacity to slow the flow of some 4,500 cubic metres of water upstream of the village. This is in addition to the 1,000 cubic metres which is slowed in Phase 1 (completed 2016).

Our photographs show the sheer volume of water!

The 3 bunds and the dam certainly played a significant role in slowing the flow of the Mill Brook further upstream and the good news is that no properties were flooded in Old Mill Place.

David Brown, Senior Advisor in Flood Risk Management with the Environment Agency, was in regular dialogue with TWiG during the most recent flood episode and he visited Tattenhall on Sunday.

He said, '... I've been to Old Mill Place. No flooding to the properties. It came very close but Mill Brook didn't get onto the road. The Natural Flood Management upstream played a role in attenuating the flood peak on the Mill Brook ...'.

The Natural Flood Management schemes, together with the planting of significant numbers of trees and former maize ground along the catchment which has gone back to grass and herbal leys, have all contributed to slowing the flow of the Mill Brook.

Thanks to the Environment Agency, Bolesworth Estate, Mersey Forest, ELM Associates, TWiG and tenant farmers for this ongoing collaborative effort.

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