Flooding is a lived reality for communities along the River Erewash and Boundary Brook. On Saturday 6 June, Claire from Flood Protection Solutions joined residents, agencies and local leaders at the Stapleford and Trowell Boundary Brook Action Group (SATBBAG) community flood event.
The event brought together everyone with a stake in reducing local flood risk, from homeowners who have experienced flooding first hand to the organisations responsible for managing it. The turnout was fantastic, and the conversations showed just how engaged this community is in protecting its homes and businesses.
For anyone living near Boundary Brook or the River Erewash, events like this matter. They are where practical advice, local knowledge and long-term flood strategy come together in one room.
Who Was at the SATBBAG Flood Event?
SATBBAG has built strong momentum since forming, working with Nottinghamshire County Council and local emergency services on flood preparedness across Stapleford and Trowell. Saturday’s event reflected that, with key organisations attending, including:
- The Environment Agency, who showcased plans for flood resilience across the Erewash Valley
- Flooded People, the national group that helps flood-affected residents support each other and push for change
- Juliet Campbell, MP for Broxtowe, who has made flood protection a priority since the devastating impacts of Storm Babet and Storm Henk on local communities
Flood Protection Solutions attended with a hands-on display of property flood resilience products, giving residents the chance to see real measures up close rather than just reading about them.
Practical Flood Protection: What We Brought Along
Property flood resilience (PFR) is about reducing the amount of water that enters a building and limiting the damage when it does. At the event, we demonstrated:
- Anti-flood air bricks, which automatically prevent floodwater entering through wall vents while still allowing normal airflow
- Water pumps, used to remove floodwater quickly from properties, basements and low-lying areas
- Flood barriers, fitted to doorways and openings to hold back rising water
These measures will not stop a major flood on their own, but they can significantly reduce damage, disruption and recovery time. For households in flood warning areas like Stapleford & Trowell, they are a sensible first line of defence alongside community-level schemes.
The Erewash Valley Project: A New Approach to Flood Resilience
The standout discussion of the day was the Environment Agency’s showcase of its proposed Erewash Valley project, part of the wider East Midlands Inclusive Flood, Water and Climate Resilience for Adaptive Growth Programme.
Why traditional defences are not enough
The Erewash Valley is a post-coalfield catchment. Greater surface water run-off across the valley is causing worse, more regular and more widespread flooding, and the Environment Agency’s assessment is clear: simply building more river wall defences is no longer technically or economically viable for these communities.
Working with the landscape we already have
Instead, the project proposes adapting the valley’s remnant coalfield canals and water infrastructure to hold back, slow down and better convey flood water. Key opportunities include:
- Using Canal and River Trust reservoirs and canal sections as controlled space for excess water
- Enhancing nature reserve washlands, such as Erewash Meadows, to store flood water and expand wetland habitat
- Re-purposing the remnant Nottingham Canal around Trowell Moor to hold back run-off that currently overloads Boundary Brook
If delivered, the Erewash scheme could better protect over 600 homes, avoid an estimated £360 million in future flood damages and create around 50 hectares of new washland and wildlife habitat across a dozen communities along the river.
What this means for Stapleford and Trowell
For Boundary Brook specifically, the logic is simple. The brook does not have the capacity to cope with the volume of water now running off the surrounding hillsides. Holding water back upstream, including through natural flood management and adapted canal remnants, reduces the peak flows that cause flooding in Trowell, Stapleford and neighbouring Sandiacre.
Natural Flood Management: Building on What Works
This catchment-wide thinking reflects the approach we explored in our recent post on natural flood management. Working with natural processes, from leaky dams to restored washlands, slows water down before it reaches vulnerable communities.
The Erewash project takes that principle and applies it at valley scale, combining natural flood management with smart adaptation of existing infrastructure. It is exactly the kind of layered approach, community resilience plus property protection plus catchment management, that delivers lasting results.
Conclusion: Resilience Is a Community Effort
Saturday’s event showed flood resilience at its best: an active community group, engaged agencies, political support and practical solutions all in one place.
If you live or own property in the Erewash Valley and want to understand your flood risk, or you are considering property flood resilience measures like barriers, pumps or anti-flood air bricks, our team is happy to help. And keep an eye on the Erewash Valley project, because it could reshape how this catchment manages flooding for decades to come.