Success for Shropshire Slow the Flow project

Shropshire Council is marking success on the second phase of the Shropshire Slow the Flow Natural Flood Management project, which delivers locally tailored nature-based interventions to help reduce flood risk.

The latest work at Battlefield, Shrewsbury, has been delivered by Shropshire Wildlife Trust in partnership with the landowner and farmer Robert Jagger, and forms part of the wider Slow the Flow 2 programme. It builds on the achievements of an earlier phase that delivered around 1,000 natural flood management measures.

The current phase focuses on restoring and enhancing natural features across the landscape to slow the movement of water and increase storage within the catchment and will help alleviate flooding of the Battlefield link road.

Sarah Mackness, from Shropshire Wildlife Trust, said:-

“At Battlefield, the project team has created an in‑ditch wetland by daylighting a previously covered ditch, restored existing ponds, installed leaky wooden barriers, created scrapes, and introduced cover crops.

“These techniques are designed to increase soil infiltration, make use of low‑lying land for temporary water storage, and reduce the speed at which water flows into the river system downstream.”

Robert added:-

“Our family has been farming here since the 1800s and this project has brought some of our land back into use. It has been an interesting project to be a part of and we can see the benefits.”

Tom Dainty, Shropshire Council deputy Cabinet member with responsibility for flooding, said:-

“Natural flood management is becoming increasingly relevant to how we plan and maintain our highways and wider infrastructure. As pressures on the network grow, measures like these will play a bigger role in managing water sustainably and reducing downstream impacts.

“We expect to continue this kind of work across the county as part of long‑term, integrated flood resilience.”

The approach taken across Slow the Flow supports long‑term resilience by working with natural processes. By improving the capacity of the landscape to manage water, the project aims to reduce the effects of flooding on communities while enhancing local habitats.

Shropshire Council will continue to work closely with partners and landowners to integrate further measures at suitable locations and to share information about how these interventions function as part of the wider catchment strategy.