How can we reduce the flood risk?

Various approaches have been investigated and one of the most effective ways is to slow the flow by temporarily holding back water upstream in flood storage areas. Valley Parkway and Manor Farm Park have been identified as the most suitable locations. 

This does not mean the loss of these parks, any water storage is only temporary, for up to a day, during an extreme rainstorm event. Outside of these severe weather events the parks will continue to be used as they currently are, and our aim is to improve parks for people and nature, and we want community input on how this can best be achieved. 

Ideas for nature-based solutions (NBS), to slow flows in upstream areas, are also being explored together with the option for property flood resilience (PFR) such as flood doors on properties. Although NBS and PFR would support temporary flood storage, rather than be stand alone solutions.

The approaches being explored are: 

• Do nothing - this is a baseline to measure benefits against but also remains an option. 
• Temporary flood storage areas in Manor Farm Park and Valley Parkway - this aims to slow the flow by creating areas to store water during extreme storm events which will reduce the flood risk to homes and business downstream.
• Nature Based Solutions - In addition to temporary flood storage, nature-based solutions can offer additional benefits for habitat creation, but on its own this option is unable to offer the required level of flood risk management in this catchment. There is an intention is to integrate NBS measures where feasible alongside a temporary flood storage scheme.
• Property Flood Resilience (PFR) - Individual property measures, such as flood doors, air brick covers and flood barriers can be used to reduce flood risk directly to individual properties.

Flood risk management options: Having evaluated different locations, temporarily holding back storm water in Manor Farm Park and Valley Parkway are the most viable options to make a meaningful difference to flood risk.

The map below shows only the approximate locations of where grassed embankments and walls could be positioned within Manor Farm Park and Valley Parkway. There is a choice of either of two potential locations being considered in Manor Farm Park.

Any grassed embankments would be at a safe slope; the suggested heights of embankment and walls are the maximum height along the length and the wall/embankment height reduces as they tie into higher ground.

The map shows the approximate locations of where grassed embankments and walls could be positioned within Manor Farm Park and Valley Parkway. 

 

Any Scheme will include landscaping and opportunities to improve the biodiversity along the watercourse. Community suggestions can be incorporated into the designs such as improved access paths, naturalisation of the watercourse, wild meadow planning, etc. Some examples of complete schemes are provided below.

Rugeley flood scheme completed in 2017

The Rugeley flood scheme was completed in 2017. The embankment here is a lot higher than proposed for   the Bourn scheme. The wet side was re-established to sports pitches as requested by the local community (wet twice since completion in 2017). 

Selly Park South Flood Risk Management Scheme

The Selly Park South Flood Scheme is a recently completed temporary flood storage area alongside Dogpool Lane

This is a completed offline temporary flood storage area reduces the flood risk to 220 residential properties and businesses in the Selly Park south area.  

The scheme involved: 

• Construction of an embankment and flood defence wall to prevent water overtopping the left bank upstream of Dogpool Lane Bridge 
• Creation of an embanked area to store water during storm events in the green open space on the right bank upstream of Dogpool Lane Bridge
• New flood defence walls on the left and right banks downstream of Dogpool Lane Bridge 
• Alterations to the river channel to improve flow and environmental diversity
• Improvements to existing access routes, including the cycle path and Ashbrook Road access drive.

Pebble Mill Playing Fields Flood Risk Management Scheme

This aerial view shows the construction of embankments at Pebble Mill playing fields to the left-hand side which will direct flood water back into the River Rea running along the tree line. This reduces the flood risk to circa 70 residential properties and businesses in the area. 

 The scheme involved: 

• Removal of silt and four weirs in partnership with Birmingham City Council to aid flow and fish passage. 
• Construction of an embankment within Pebble Mill playing fields to direct flood water back into the River Rea and re-alignment and re-surfacing of public footpaths. 
• Improved planting and landscaping to encourage local habitat diversity and increase biodiversity. 
• Landscaping and additional tree planting and meadow creation was undertaken in Autumn 2024. 

This photo shows the same area the aerial view above. Following community suggestions, this area was replanted with meadow plants. The team went beyond Environment Agency’s targets, demonstrating 238% habitat and 44% rivers Biodiversity Net Gain and won the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) West Midlands Sustainability Award for this project. 

 Following a storm event in September 2024, Local Flood Group Lead, Howard Smith, commented:

“The Bournbrook Alleviation Channel kicked into operation for the first time since it was completed in March 2019. I was pleased to see it working exactly as it had been described to me 5 years ago. It certainly saved a major flooding incident.

The Rea did not break its banks so the Pebble Mill Fields / First Avenue Scheme was not fully utilised but I've never seen the Rea flowing higher or faster so I believe the weir removal certainly helped in that regard.

A huge vote of thanks to the EA for all the work done in our area in the past seven years. We are very grateful.”

We are investigating opportunities for Nature Based Solutions (NBS). This is likely to be in combination with the use of temporary flood storage areas, rather than as a standalone option. NBS use natural processes to slow the flow in upstream tributaries, increase water absorption and reduce surface run off. For example, using leaky dams, re-naturalising watercourses, creating floodplain meadows, tree planting and creating wet woodlands. Typical methods and some of the possible locations are shown on the map below. 

More information can be found at: Nature-based solutions: Environment Agency position statement - GOV.UK 

Property Flood Resilience (PFR) is a means of reducing flood risk at an individual property level. It remains a fall back option as it isn't always suitable for sudden flash flood events which are more typical in urban areas. Find out more at the The Flood Hub  

Some examples of typical PFR measures

 

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