Flood
Working with Nature: The Rise of Natural Flood Management
Before joining FPS Environmental, our Head of Marketing, Claire, became involved with the local flood group after her home was affected by Storm Babet. After two years of collaboration, numerous meetings, and sheer perseverance, a major milestone has been reached in Stapleford and Trowell, the completion of the Natural Flood Management (NFM) project for the local Boundary Brook.
At times it felt like it might never happen, but thanks to the Stapleford & Trowell Boundary Brook Action Group (SATBBAG) and numerous local partners, the project is now a reality. This initiative showcases what can be achieved when communities, environmental specialists, and local authorities work together towards a shared goal to reduce flood risk while protecting natural habitats.
What is Natural Flood Management?
Natural Flood Management (NFM) is an increasingly key approach to tackling flood risk across the UK. Rather than relying solely on engineered defences like walls or barriers, NFM focuses on working with natural processes to slow, store, and filter water through the landscape.
By restoring rivers, wetlands, and floodplains, we can help manage flood risk more sustainably, protecting homes and infrastructure while also creating valuable habitats for wildlife and nice spaces for communities.
The UK Government is investing heavily in Natural Flood Management, from 2023 onwards, £25 million was ring-fenced by Defra and the Environment Agency to support community and catchment-scale NFM projects across England.
Key Features of the Boundary Brook NFM Project
The scheme has been designed to slow the flow and reduce flood risk to nearby homes by using a range of natural techniques, including:
A meandered channel: allowing water to take a more natural, winding path that slows movement downstream.
Regraded land: restoring the floodplain so excess water can safely spill over and be stored in the catchment.
Wetland creation: providing new habitats that enhance local biodiversity.
Small dams and leaky barriers: helping divert water onto the floodplain during heavy rainfall.
Pooling areas: capturing and temporarily storing excess water.
Locally sourced materials: the leaky dams were built using timber from nearby trees, minimising environmental impact.
These interventions work together to reduce the speed and volume of water entering the brook during storms, helping protect homes downstream while improving the local environment.
Storm Claudia and Testing the NFM
Friday the 14th Storm Claudia was the first real test for the new natural flood management scheme on Boundary Brook. And while the project did do its job, it was an anxious 24 hours for residents.
The brook typically sits around 0.4m, on Friday night it reached 0.96m (Flooding starts at 1.02m). All day, people were checking river levels, refreshing weather apps, and watching the brook inch higher. Many didn’t sleep until the rain finally eased off.
For our community, this is what living with flood risk really looks like. Even with new defences in place, trust takes time. The NFM is promising, but belief in it will grow slowly, storm by storm. Residents are still carrying the memory of past floods and the fear that comes with previous flood events.
The Importance of Local Flood Groups
Community involvement has been key to this project’s success. Flood groups like ours play an essential role in flood resilience. With invaluable advice and guidance from the National Flood Forum and Flooded People, our group was able to make real progress.
Flood groups bring together residents, landowners, councils, and environmental experts to identify local risks and create practical solutions. They act as the link between technical specialists and the community, ensuring that local knowledge shapes the design and delivery of flood projects. We held multi agency meetings (MAMs) every 3 months for the last 2 years where we would discuss and action possible plans for flood management, these meetings were key to ensuring our voices were heard and we kept the momentum moving forward. We also received invaluable advice from other local flood groups, including Lowdham FLAG.
NFM for the Future
With climate change increasing the frequency of heavy rainfall events, the UK needs a combination of engineered and nature-based flood solutions. Projects like ours show that when we work with nature, we not only reduce flood risk but also enhance ecosystems, improve water quality, and support biodiversity. We hope the nfm project will succeed and give us the peace of mind over the winter months that flooding can be kept at bay.
At FPS Environmental, we’re proud to see our staff and local communities embracing Natural Flood Management, taking action to protect their homes. We’ve seen first-hand how collaboration between technical experts, LLFAs and community flood groups can lead to lasting, positive change.
Written by Claire Sneddon, December 2025.
Further reading
FPS Environmental has its head office in Nottinghamshire, with the Boundary Brook scheme falling close to home for several of our team. Read more about FPS Environmental and our Flood Risk Assessment work across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.
When undertaking Flood Risk Assessments, our team works across England and Wales, with consultants based in regional locations including Devon and London, alongside our head office in Nottinghamshire.
Whilst Flood Risk Assessments for planning are a core part of our work, our consultancy also covers flood investigation and management, including post-event work, catchment-scale studies and community-led resilience projects similar to the Boundary Brook scheme described above.
