Senior representatives from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) have visited Brigstock in Northamptonshire to see first-hand how a holistic approach to flood resilience is helping communities become better prepared for future flooding.
The visit, organised through the Resilience and Innovation Northants Project (RAIN Project), showcased how Property Flood Resilience (PFR), Natural Flood Management (NFM) and community preparedness are being delivered together across the Harpers Brook and Wootton Brook catchments to help reduce flood risk and improve long-term resilience.
The delegation met representatives from RAIN and key delivery partners and stakeholders, including Watertight International, JBA Consulting and Amplius, to understand how organisations from across the public, private and housing sectors have worked together to support RAIN’s objectives.
The visit began at Harpers Court in Brigstock, an independent living scheme operated by Amplius, where delegates were shown the range of PFR measures, installed by Watertight following detailed property surveys undertaken by JBA Consulting, to help better protect residents and the building from future flooding.
The tour included seeing resilience measures within individual apartments, communal areas and key service spaces, including the lift shaft and mobility equipment store, together with live wet demonstrations to show the measures being tested to up to 600mm of water.
Residents shared their personal experiences of flooding they witnessed in 2020 and spoke about the difference the project has made to their confidence and preparedness. Alongside the physical flood resilience measures, residents have also been supported with personalised flood plans via the Resilico app, helping them understand what to do before, during and after a flood event. They have also received personal advice on flood planning from expert Mary - ‘Flood Mary’ - Long-Dhonau OBE.
Delegates then visited nearby homes where measures have been installed by Watertight and, following installation, were audited by JBA Consulting, such as flood doors, flood barriers and non-return valves, before meeting project partners at Brigstock Village Hall to learn more about the scope of the works involved.
The visit concluded with a guided walk to Rush Meadow Ponds wetland, where RAIN Project Manager Sarah Parr explained how NFM measures have also been created to help slow the flow of water through the catchment, which includes communities in Sudborough and Lowick.
Juan Scouller, Head of Flood Risk, Resilience and Insurance Policy at Defra, said: "It has been valuable to see first-hand how flood resilience measures are being delivered within the community and to hear directly from the residents they are designed to support. The work RAIN has coordinated here in Brigstock is an excellent example of partnership working, bringing together organisations from across the area to help build stronger, more resilient communities”
Alan Ryan, Programme Manager for the RAIN programme, said: “From day one RAIN has adopted a holistic approach to flood resilience, recognising that the greatest benefits come when catchment management, property resilience and community preparedness are considered together. It was a pleasure to welcome Defra colleagues to Northants and demonstrate how that joined-up approach can deliver lasting benefits for communities.”
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Shelley Evans, Technical Director, JBA Consulting, said: “Effective Property Flood Resilience begins with understanding the unique flood risk that each property faces. Through detailed flood resilience surveys and post-installation audits, we have helped to ensure that the measures are appropriate not only for the type of flooding properties in this scheme are likely to encounter, but for the people that live there. We are proud to have played a part in this innovation project.”
Gareth Boyd, CEO of Watertight, said: “Property Flood Resilience is about more than installing products; it’s about giving people confidence that they are better prepared, know what steps to take upon receiving a flood warning, and importantly can recover more quickly should flooding occur.
“By combining PFR with personalised preparedness via the Resilico Connect app, residents benefit from physical resilience measures alongside tailored plans, local flood alerts and maintenance reminders. Together, they help people to feel more prepared when a flood alert is received.”
Mia Brophy, Sheltered Housing Team Leader at Amplius, said: “The work carried out at Harpers Court has given residents visible reassurance that meaningful action has been taken to protect them and their homes from future floods. I'd like to thank the RAIN project and everyone else involved in this work for helping us go further and do more for our customers.
“Not only have physical measures been installed, but residents have been supported with their own personal flood plans to help them feel more prepared. This project has been a brilliant example of how flood resilience can protect properties and strengthen residents’ confidence, independence and peace of mind at the same time.”
The RAIN Project (Resilience and Innovation Northants) is funded by Defra as part of the £200 million Flood and Coastal Innovation Programmes, which is managed by the Environment Agency. For more information, visit www.rainnorthants.co.uk