By Eddie Bisknell
A PIONEERING flood prevention scheme developed in Stroud could be rolled out to other parts of the country.
The Stroud Rural Sustainable Drainage (RSuDS) project’s techniques such as putting trees back into and across streams to slow water flow have helped prevent flooding in the district.
Restoring habitats and mimicking natural drainage processes have also helped.
Now the measures – and the way they were delivered – will be discussed at a conference at the University of Gloucestershire’s Oxstalls Campus next year.
The National Flood Management conference is being hosted by Stroud District Council (SDC) and the University of Gloucestershire in January.
Simon Pickering, chairman of SDC’s environment committee, said: “We hope this conference will move the debate on from the science behind natural flood management and onto building the partnerships that can spread its implementation across the country.
“We are pleased to share the practical experience and the learning we have gained in Stroud, with the aim of helping other communities affected by flooding.
“Our success in Stroud is in large part due to the partnerships we have established and the involvement of the wider community in the work.”
Chris Short, a reader in environmental policy at the University of Gloucestershire said: “We are delighted our students have been able to contribute to the research, which will support this important local project for the long-term.”
Like other parts of Gloucestershire, the Stroud Valleys suffered extensive flooding during the summer of 2007.
Five years later the SuDs project was launched with the aim of using natural flood management techniques on the River Frome and tributaries.
The free conference takes place on Wednesday, January 25 from 9pm to 5pm.It is being chaired by SDC chief executive David Hagg.
Among the other speakers are University of Gloucestershire vice chancellor Stephen Marston and Gloucestershire County Council leader Mark Hawthorne.
Places are limited and must be booked – go to ccri.ac.uk/floodconference
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