Flood schemes built to protect Storm Babet village

Three years after Storm Babet tore its way through Suffolk, work has been carried out to reduce flood risk in one of the worst hit areas.

In October 2023, hundreds of homes and businesses were flooded, schools were closed and roads were blocked when intense, heavy rain fell.

Debenham was among the worst affected areas and three years on, Suffolk County Council has completed natural flood management works upstream to control surface water flow.

Helen Dangerfield, director at Essex and Suffolk Rivers Trust which helped with the work, said the project would also help support wildlife.

On 20 October 2023, a major incident was declared in Suffolk when heavy rain struck.

In Debenham, 70 residential and commercial properties were flooded.

Afterwards, a council report said the village was located in an area at "significant risk of both fluvial (river) and pluvial (surface water) flooding".

Three major tributaries of the River Deben flow into the village. During the storm, properties had flooded before any warning was issued to residents.

In the years following, some affected business owners told the BBC that "nothing has been done" to protect them from future flooding.

Work to improve the problem is ongoing, but the recently completed schemes in Debenham took place at Crow's Hall and Elm Farm.

They were funded by the Anglian Eastern Regional Flood and Coastal Committee's Local Levy, and together were given £122,219.

The schemes have been designed to reduce surface water flow that would otherwise contribute to flooding in the village, the council said.

Water will be intercepted through a series of deliberately leaky debris dams, and water systems that store excess water will then release it at a controlled rate.

The council said the systems would complement other projects both constructed and proposed for Debenham.

While they could not guarantee complete protection, they would "significantly reduce flood risk to people and property", the authority added.

Dangerfield said: "The River Deben is a vital part of our local environment, and natural flood management helps protect it by slowing the flow of water naturally.

"As well as reducing flood risk, these measures support wildlife, improve water quality and help the river cope with the challenges of a changing climate."

Morgan Brobyn, Reform UK cabinet member for food, waste and rural affairs at Suffolk County Council, added: "Natural flood management is an effective and sympathetic approach to reducing flood risk by working with nature.

"The landscape naturally slows and stores water, rather than relying solely on built structures such as flood walls and concrete barriers."

The council has also been working to resolve drainage issues since Storm Babet.

There are currently 1,281 known drainage problems recorded on the council's flood site register.

Since April, 18 issues considered larger problems at known flooding locations have been prioritised for improvement.

"Some flooding problems are complex and need significant engineering work or agreements with landowners or other organisations, so can take time to resolve," a council spokesperson said.

"We prioritise this work according to the severity of flooding, the impact on homes and the risk to road users."

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