Project outcomes and beyond

Specific outcomes

As at January 2020 some projects are still at the delivery stage, and monitoring is at a early stage. A full assessment and quantification of outcomes will be published in a final project report to be completed in early summer 2020.

Provisional outcomes to date (February 2020) are:

  • Completed projects at four sites at Bedgebury, Sissinghurst, the Alder Stream and School Stream
  • Demonstrations of Leaky Woody Structure and Naural Flood Management techniques
  • Work underway to deliver projects at a further six sites in winter/spring 2020
  • A monitoring programme in place to assess the flood mitigation and ecological benefits of the NFM works. Collaboration with Kings College London and Ambios in developing innovative monitoring techniques. Baseline studies of the ecological condition of key sites.
  • An evidence base for the construction of safe and effective NFM measures, compliant with regulatory requirements.
  • Increased financial support for the project from Maidstone Borough Council.
  • Progress in the creation of geographically based website to share results, known as the ’Storymap’.

 Process results

  • Engagement of the Medway Flood Action Plan Strategic Group in the Multi-Level Safety Approach, and awareness-raising of the other layers piloted by other FRAMES partners.
  • Awareness raising of the FRAMES NFM pilot in the Medway at a national level through vists by the chief executive officers of Forestry England and the Environment Agency to demonstration sites.
  • Meeting of the Medway Flood Partnership April 2020 to discuss future funding options for NFM in the catchment
  • Capacity building in the sector through the increased understanding and upscaling  of practitioners, contractors, volunteers and stakeholders.
  • Community support from the flood affected settlements of Headcorn and Five Oak Green, and the wider population of the Medway.
  • Landowner support for projects from seven private individuals, two charities, one public agency and one private water company.
  • Increased awareness of Natural Flood Management as a means of increasing environmental resilience among the general population through appearances on the media including BBC regional TV and Radio:

The BBC visited the Medway pilot several times and made a special report about it:      

Flood risk management strategies (FRMs)

Historically, flood risk governance in the UK has been the responsibility of many actors in multiple sectors. Flood Risk Management at a national level is delegated to the Environment Agency by central government, with local government holding key responsibilities for spatial planning and flooding prevention, response and recovery at a local level. Private water companies, landowners, and other local bodies such as internal drainage boards also have key roles to play, and the aim of the Medway Flood Partnership is to bring these actors together to develop a more holistic and coordinated Multi-Level Safety Approach to the problem of flooding.

The next table shows the FRM strategies that were considered before, during and after FRAMES project.

Layers of MLS Before FRAMES

(2013-2017)

During FRAMES After FRAMES
1.Protection/ defence Spent over £9.8 million in maintenance and improvements of flood defence infrastructure in the catchment (Environment Agency, 2017) such as reinforcement of Leigh Flood Barrier (interview pilot manager, 2019) Natural flood management (NFM) interventions, capacity building in the sector, creation of two demonstration sites for the promotion of NFM (interview pilot manager, 2019). Provide case studies about the effectiveness of NFM measures, ongoing monitoring of the effectiveness of the structures until 2021, discussions on extending funding for NFM beyond the lifetime of the FRAMES project (interview pilot manager, 2019).
2. Pro-action/ prevention via spatial planning Property measures to avoid water entering the houses (Environment Agency, 2017) This is an action which is being delivered by other partners within the Medway Flood Partnership (interview pilot manager, 2019). Actions delivered by other members of the Medway Flood Partnership and planning authorities, informed by learning from the results of the FRAMES project (interview pilot manager, 2019).
3. Preparation & response Awareness and preparedness works among communities (flood warning service)
  • Over 90% (8,497) of people at risk of flooding across the catchment have signed up to the Environment Agency’s Flood Warning Service across the Medway Catchment.
  • Through Kent Resilience Forum over 300 volunteer flood wardens have been trained and recruited (Environment Agency, 2017)
 Share information and knowledge about NFM interventions using demonstration sites and increase the awareness and capacity among practitioners.

KCC improve community resilience through activities such as: raising awareness of flood risk, building individual preparedness, emergency planning activities to ensure local communities are ready to respond, and identifying community measures to reduce the impact of flooding (interview pilot manager, 2019).

Expected that local authorities could integrate these activities within their own practices because the NFM are low cost effective flood risk management measures. And that they will work directly with the local communities.

Changes in agriculture policies by paying farmers for pubic goods such as environmental services such as flood prevention, biodiversity and amenity are now proposed in the UK (interview pilot manager, 2019).

4. Flood Recovery Low attention The Medway Flood Partnership plan to increase the capacity of local communities (social and health care sector) to recover as a result of a multi-level approach and input from the  FRAEMS Kent pilot (interview pilot manager, 2019). Improve recovery of community by increasing prevention and preparedness (Environment Agency, 2017)























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