Debenham: Storm Babet Information Page
The Environment Agency has created this page to inform interested parties about the actions taken and planned in Debenham since Storm Babet in October 2023.
Flood Investigation Report
Led by Suffolk County Council with support from the Environment Agency and other Risk Management Authorities, the final report can be found here(External link)
While the flood investigation reports were being developed the Environment Agency has worked on a number of actions:
Flood Warning Service
We have analysed the recent and historic high flows data from the Debenham river level gauge and have made changes to the trigger levels for Flood Alerts and Flood Warnings. As a result, customers should experience more accurate and timely flood warnings and alerts. These changes went live in June 2024.
Customers should also see improved live river level information on the Check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk(External link) for Debenham. Information from our downstream gauge at Brandeston is now also available to the public.
Over summer 2024, we expanded the flood warning area to include all properties which flooded from the main rivers in October 2023.The revised warning went live in November 2024.
Providing a flood warning through Debenham is complex due to the number of short-length watercourses that contribute to flooding. We are investigating options to better understand if further improvements can be made to the timeliness and accuracy of flood warnings in Debenham, for example if the installation of additional telemetry(river gauges) would be beneficial. The initial findings from these investigations will be available in the summer.
Watercourse Maintenance
The Environment Agency has permissive powers to carry out maintenance, improvement, or construction work on Main Rivers and may choose to use these power if doing so is a cost-effective way to manage flood risk and protect the environment. As these powers are permissive, the Environment Agency is not required to carry out either maintenance or new works on Main Rivers and does so only in the above circumstances.
In Debenham, annual routine maintenance is carried out in the autumn months by our field team, paying extra attention to removing any restrictions to the channel's flow. This work is specifically designed to cater for normal winter flows, ensuring the channel's flows are clear and functional. This was completed in October 2024, and remains in the maintenance programme for 2025-26.
When heavy rain is forecast and flooding is expected, our teams check rivers for blockages, remove debris such as fallen trees , and clear weed screens that could increase flooding. Any reported damage is investigated.
Before and After October 2024 Maintenance Works
Capital Projects
Solutions for managing flood risk in Debenham have been explored for a number of years. Due to the dispersed nature of flooding from Storm Babet and Storm Henk, Property Flood Resilience (PFR) measures have been identified as the most cost-effective solution to prevent flood water from entering homes in Debenham.
A PFR project has started in Debenham to install PFR measures to properties that flooded during Storm Babet. Over 50 properties have signed up to take part in the project and property surveys started in October 2024. A separate survey will be conducted even if some properties have already had a PFR survey through the Suffolk County Council PFR grant. Flooded properties are eligible for both the SCC grant and the Environment Agency’s PFR project.
If your property flooded in Storm Babet but you have not been invited to join the Environment Agency’s PFR project, and would be interested in having a PFR Survey, then please email psoens@environment-agency.gov.uk(External link) for more information. We also encourage everyone who has already been invited to have a PFR survey to take up the offer by emailing back.
In the longer term the Environment Agency & Suffolk County Council will be investigating whether more Natural Flood Management measures can be installed in and around Debenham, working closely with landowners.
Community Engagement
Since Storm Babet, we have undertaken and supported the following engagement activities:
EA community Information Officers visited Debenham to talk to residents on 23 and 24 October 2023 and 12 January 2024.
22 December 2023: Information letter sent to community updating on what happened, the actions taken since Storm Babet and next steps. A copy can be seen under Related Documents.
26 January 2024: Supported the parish council's community meeting hosted.
18 April 2024 Supported the Rivers Trust who hosted a catchment visit.
August 2024: Letters sent to flooded properties to offer them the chance to join the Environment Agency’s fully funded PFR project.
September 2024: An information letter had been sent out to riparian owners, raising awareness of the rights and responsibilities.
7 October 2024: Attended the Parish Council meeting focused on flood risk.
October 2024: Follow up letters sent from JBA to invite properties to Environment Agency’s PFR project.
September/October 2024: JBA started the PFR surveys.
- 26 Nov, 2024: Community Drop-in: Increasing our resilience to flooding- please see flyer in Related Documents
- February/March JBA PFR survey issued.
Note: Riparian Ownership Guidance
A Riparian Owner is somebody who has a watercourse running beneath, through or on the border of their land. This might be a river, stream, ditch or buried watercourse.
If you believe you are a riparian owner and would like more information, see the PDF under Related Documents.
Under the Environmental Permitting Regulations, a Flood Risk Activity Permit (FRAP) is required for works in, under, and over a main river, or within 8m of a main river. A FRAP is also required for any works that are designed to contain or divert flood water, including flood walls and flood gates/barriers, whatever the distance from the river. See The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016(External link) for details on what counts as a Flood Risk Activity.
Details of FRAP requirements can be found at Flood risk activities: environmental permits - GOV.UK(External link), including when a permit is required and whether it could come under an exclusion, an exemption, a standard rules permit or a bespoke permit.
Some minor works can be undertaken without a permit, such as vegetation removal by hand, providing the works do not destabilise the riverbanks, and tree roots are left in place. Desilting the river requires a permit, but is covered by an exemption in certain situations (see FRA24, FRA23, FRA22 at FRAP Exemptions(External link)) which is free, quick and simple to register online. There is also an exemption for new flood defences, including flood barriers and flood gates in boundary walls, again this applies in limited circumstances. Further information can be found at FRA26 Exemption(External link).
If the requirements of the FRAP Exemptions cannot be met, then a Bespoke Permit would need to be applied for, further details can be found at Bespoke Permit(External link). The permit application would need to demonstrate that the works would not adversely affect flood risk elsewhere or cause environmental harm.
Sharing Expertise
We have been working closely with Suffolk County Council to collate information, much of it collected by the EA in the aftermath of the floods, to help complete the Section 19 flood investigation report.
