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Members visited a range of interventions, including leaky dams, soil management techniques and wetland creation which are all measures designed to slow the flow of water, increase storage within the landscape and reduce pressure on downstream communities.
The visits demonstrated that natural flood management is most effective when delivered at a catchment scale. Connecting interventions across a wider area allows them to deliver cumulative impact, rather than operating as isolated projects.
Further discussions also highlighted the links between flood resilience and wider regional priorities, including economic stability, infrastructure protection and agricultural productivity.
Alex Wagner, deputy leader of Shropshire Council, said:-
“Seeing these schemes on the ground really brings home the value of working with natural processes at a catchment scale. What’s particularly powerful is the way partners are coming together across boundaries and sectors, through the Marches Forward Partnership, to deliver solutions that not only reduce flood risk but also strengthen the wider resilience of our communities and landscapes.”
Discussions also highlighted the links between flood resilience and wider regional priorities, including economic stability, infrastructure protection, including highways, and agricultural productivity.
The visit also took in The Severn Valley Water Management Scheme’s Rea Brook demonstrator project which highlighted the role of landowners and local communities in delivery, as well as the need for longer-term funding, clearer pathways for participation and evidence of cumulative impact.
Led by Powys County Council and Shropshire Council, the MFP is progressing a green growth programme, central to which are:
- Marches Environmental Investment Platform (MEIP): A concept to attract private capital and direct it to land managers by addressing barriers such as unclear returns, risk quantification and fragmented project pipelines.
- Marches Environmental Delivery Vehicle (EDV): A proposed governance model to bring together communities, buyers, investors, policy makers and delivery partners.
- Severn Valley Water Management Scheme (SVWMS): A pilot project led by the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales, Powys and Shropshire Councils to explore large‑scale water infrastructure solutions.
