Flood defence work to help protect Cambridgeshire homes

At Broughton, vegetation along Bury Brook has been cleared to avoid it posing a flood-risk. The work covered the brook from the Bridge Road bridge to just beyond the Causeway Road bridge. Brambles, saplings and selective established trees are among the vegetation that has been removed.

In December 2020, 16 properties in the village flooded after 80% of the month’s rainfall fell in just a day.

Investigations by the EA and Cambridgeshire County Council found that the flooding was caused by both surface water and the Bury Brook.

Environment Agency investigations provided the evidence needed to secure funding for the removal of the vegetation. This will help ensure uninterrupted flow of water through the channel during periods of heavy rain and help prevent potential flooding.

Nicola Chadwick from the Environment Agency’s Asset Performance team, said:

This essential work will help to reduce the flood risk in Broughton.

Mitigation measures don’t always need to involve large barriers, carrying out maintenance and clearing rivers is an important part of the work we do.

Between 2015 and 2020, we have invested more than £1 billion on maintaining flood and coastal defences. We routinely inspect both Environment Agency and third-party defences. Repairs identified are prioritised to minimise flood risk.

Everyone should know their flood risk and sign up for free flood warnings by going to https://www.gov.uk/check-flood-risk or calling Floodline on 0345 988 1188. You can also follow @EnvAgencyAnglia on Twitter for the latest flood updates.

Work to clear Bury Brook began at the end of January and was completed at the beginning of March.