Government announces £1m natural flood management competition

The Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom has today announced a new £1 million natural flood management competition.

It is part of the government's drive to reduce flooding by using a range of innovative techniques.

The competition will allow flood defence projects around the country to apply for a share of £1 million to help protect homes and businesses.

This government funded competition is the first of its kind and will be open to projects that plan to use landscape features such as ponds, banks, meanders, channels, and trees to store, drain or slow flood water.

Natural flood management already forms part of the government’s flood strategy and funding these new projects builds on £14m committed to similar schemes across the country.

'No ‘one size fits all’ approach'

Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom said: "We now carefully look at flood risk across an entire catchment area from a river’s source to the sea – to make sure we have in place the best tailored mix of natural as well as concrete, engineered defences to better protect communities."

The new natural flood management competition will give small-scale natural flood management projects around the country the opportunity to apply for funding.

Environment Agency Chair, Emma Howard Boyd, said: "There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to natural flood management: it’s about using a range of measures, from creating ponds and woody dams to redirecting river channels, that work together to reduce flood risk. This competition is a great way to explore the different ways these approaches can benefit communities and the environment."

The deadline for competition entries is 19 May 2017 and the successful projects are expected to be announced by the end of June 2017.