SRA Annual Report 2023-24: Community sub-catchment support
A pilot project to help Somerset groups and communities turn ideas into action. Funding was agreed by the SRA Board after hearing from FWAG SW that in an increasing number of places, highly motivated people wanted to reduce flood risks in their own areas but they lacked technical expertise, experience and confidence. A project officer could thus help by giving technical input and support for activities judged to be effective. A key principle of this project was that work should be initiated by communities.
In 2023, work began in Chaffcombe, Bathpool, Ilminster, Podimore, and Milverton. In Chaffcombe, for example, members of the village’s flood prevention group had already drawn up a flood resilience plan. This plan was reviewed, a village walkover was done with a hydromorphologist, and six ideas were assessed, for wetland planting, an attenuation pond, stream re-profiling, making better use of a water wheel, changing farming practices north of the village, and using natural flood management techniques to the south.
In the first part of 2024, a meeting of West Somerset Flood Group was attended and places lined up for further work included Buckland Dinham, Croscombe, Drayton, Kingston St Mary, Knole near Langport, North Wootton, Shepton Mallet, Shepton Montague and Pitcombe, and Spaxton. In Spaxton parish, for example, near Gothelney Hall, a site visit in February helped to produce a scheme for reducing flooding on Charlinch Road submitted to the SRA in early April.