Weardale residents are reaping the benefits of a project
which has kick-started a £2.1million natural flood
management (NFM) project.
A programme of peatland restoration over last winter on a
Weardale hillside will help reduce flooding further down
the dale, as well as encouraging carbon capture and
improving the land for nature.
And a film of the work has launched a new series of
Environment Agency Youtube videos which will capture the
pioneering Weardale project throughout.
There is also an introductory video about the whole project
and what it aims to achieve.
Extensive areas restored
The North Pennines AONB Partnership worked with East
Allenheads Estate to restore extensive areas of bare peat
on Wolfcleugh Common, above Rookhope.
It’s the first step for the Weardale Natural Flood
Management pilot project which will see the Environment
Agency and its partners investigate the potential for a
much bigger initiative.
The ambition is to deliver natural features across 100km2
area to reduce the risk of flooding to 141 properties and
create a haven for wildlife to thrive.
The project team is currently carrying out an assessment of
NFM techniques that might help reduce flood risk in
Weardale and takes in towns and villages including
Stanhope, Westgate, Eastgate and Wolsingham.
The Environment Agency is working on the project with
Natural England, Forestry Commission, Durham County
Council, the North Pennines AONB Partnership and the Wear
Catchment Partnership, established under Defra’s Catchment
Based Approach.
The project team, supported by Wear Rivers Trust, is now
working with local farmers and landowners to discuss
voluntary involvement in the scheme for future features to
be delivered on site at the end of this year.
The peatland restoration work at Rookhope includes
installing coir rolls and stone dams to slow down the flow
of surface water over bare peat. Steep sided erosion
gullies have been reshaped to encourage revegetation, and
heather and mosses have been harvested and spread over the
bare peat. This helps protect it from further damage from
wind, rain, frost and ice and also creates an ideal
environment for seeds to germinate.
A series of videos of the Weardale work will be uploaded to
Youtube so the community can understand the project and
stay updated with progress.
Fantastic to see work completed
Alistair Lockett, Field Officer at the North Pennines AONB
Partnership, said:
We have been working with Natural England and East
Allenheads Estate for the past three years and it is
fantastic to see the work completed. It will make a big
difference to the valley, by improving carbon storage and
mitigating flooding downstream. We’re also pleased that
we have been able to support local contractors within the
North Pennines.
Kirsty Hardy, the Environment Agency’s Project Manager for
Weardale NFM scheme, added:
The AONB Partnership’s peatland restoration work kick
starts what is a pioneering project to explore and
deliver natural flood management features to reduce flood
risk in Weardale, as well as enrich the landscape and
habitat of what is a beautiful area of countryside.
Together with our partners we hosted a series of events
in the Spring for the community to come along and find
out more about the project. We’re now speaking with local
farmers and landowners to identify any suitable locations
for potential delivery of natural flood management
features early next year.
This is a really exciting opportunity to increase our
understanding of the impact natural flood management can
have on reducing the risk of flooding. A series of videos
about the project from start to finish will help people
understand the process and stay up to date with progress.
In March 2017 the Environment Agency announced £15million
of funding had been made available for NFM schemes
nationally. Initial work to engage with farmers and
communities and model the flood risk benefits that can be
achieved will be complete by the end of the year. If this
is successful then the project will deliver a programme of
work from early 2019 for a two-year period.
