Alconbury Brook Flood Group Report April 2023

FAS

• FG has submitted some additional information about semi-permanent islands of sediment.

• Nest step = meeting to discuss modelling assumptions

Pond Projects

• Planning permission granted for Buckworth Scrape

• Internal Drainage Permit issued for work

• Landowner to whom we are grateful is helping to prepare the site

• Volunteer event May 1st, more info from Debbie

• Contractor booked to carry pout work in early May

• Planning permission awaited for Alconbury Weston Pond due hopefully by/on May 15th

• Helpful meeting with Milton Estates Manager about pond and other projects

• Design work on Hamerton and Gidding ponds this month

Flood Mobile

• Scheduled to visit Alconbury Weston on April 29th. Green next to North Road at 9.30 onwards. Watch for village social media and posters for further details

Gabions

• Setback regarding timing. Meeting with National Highways Manager on 28th April

Sensor Project

• Still some testing needed to ensure sensors communicating.

• Gateway to be installed at Sallows Farm shortly and at Holly Lodge before end of June.

• Holly Lodge will connect to watercourse level sensors in Mile Brook and Buckworth Brook.

Blue Green Urban project

• 7 possible sites

• Positive discussion with both Parish Councils (PCs)

• D working with PCs, Highways and Blue Green urban to create designs and costings for evaluation.

Herbal Ley Project

• Baseline testing of field in Gidding has continued courtesy of landowner.

• Various measurements from worms to soil saturation have been made.

• Discussion with Natural England about funding to disseminate findings to farmers

• Some work done setting up soil DNA testing as a measure of soil health and rain infiltration.

Ashden Award

We are delighted to have been shortlisted for an award for innovative Community Nature Adaptation tackling flooding and climate change. This is an international award with shortlisted schemes from the UK, and many other countries. A final assessment will take place during June when assessors will visit us to review our work.