SRA Annual Report 2025-26: Adaptation and Moor Associations
In 2025-26, the SRA continued to fund the production of bespoke climate adaptation plans, produced in collaboration between local people and Somerset Wildlife Trust.
The SRA’s community team supported six sessions. Plans were completed for Wells, the Martock area (including Ash, East Lambrook, Martock, Kingsbury Episcopi, South Petherton and Stoke sub Hamdon), Spaxton on the eastern edge of the Quantocks, and Chard.
Good progress was made in Frome and Mudford (near Yeovil), and exploratory discussions were held in Taunton with the town council.
All plans have sections about reducing flood risks, with dozens of ideas covering subjects such as improved drainage and water storage, and emergency planning and local communication systems.
Actions taken since, in Spaxton for example, have included ditch clearing and planning for rainwater harvesting. In Glastonbury, where a plan was completed in 2024, recent activities have included producing a leaflet promoting permeable paving, rain gardens and water butts, and training people in how to create rain gardens and install water butts.
In March 2026, to push further ahead with these plans, Somerset Wildlife Trust, Somerset Council, and the University of Bristol began a year-long project called Act Together To Adapt, funded through the Maximising UK Adaptation to Climate Change (MACC) Hub Flexible Fund.
Through FWAG SW, the SRA has also continued to support 10 Moor Associations on the Somerset Levels and Moors. They bring many different landowners together to focus on water control issues and strategic decision-making.
Banding together locally to help Defra pursue such goals as peat restoration and landscape recovery can help to secure practical improvements and extra funding.
