Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom has announced a competition to encourage natural flood defence projects around the country to apply for a share of £1 million.
The competition, which was launched during Mrs Leadsom’s visit last Thursday to Leicester’s new flood defence scheme, will look to discover projects and better encourage those that plan to use landscape features such as ponds, bank, meanders, channels and trees to store, drain or slow flood water in its initial project construction.
Mrs Leadsom, pictured, described Leicester, one of the most diverse cities in the UK, “a fantastic example of how natural and concrete, engineered defences can together provide communities with the best possible flood protection. Not only are 1,200 Leicester properties better protected thanks to new natural flood management measures, it is good to see how local wildlife has also greatly benefited.” The government has committed to investing £7.1mn towards Leicester’s three-part flood defence scheme by 2021.
Details of the competition and how to apply are available via www.catchmentbasedapproach.org
