Emerging Plan Ver2

Severn Valley Water Management Scheme Our emerging plan 17 December 2025 to 11 March 2026

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Contents The Severn Valley Water Management Scheme................................................................................................ 4 What the SVWMS means for you........................................................................................................................... 5 Our approach............................................................................................................................................................. 6 What interventions we are considering............................................................................................................... 7 The emerging plan...............................................................................................................................................8 / 9 Where nature can help.....................................................................................................................................10 / 11 Preparing for future delivery..................................................................................................................................12 The demonstrator programme .............................................................................................................................13 How you can get involved…….................................................................................................................................14 Next steps ........................................................................................................................................................... 16/17

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The Severn Valley Water Management Scheme What is the scheme and why is it needed?

The rivers in the Upper Severn are at the heart of our communities. They provide water, support wildlife, and offer opportunities for recreation and farming.

Extreme weather causes these rivers to threaten our homes, businesses and daily lives. Floods and droughts are hitting harder, faster and closer to home. The impact of this is not just measured in rising water levels, but in lost homes, lost harvests and lost livelihoods. Carrying on as we are is not an option.

We cannot stop flooding, but we can reduce the impact it has on our communities. To build resilience, we need to work together to store and slow water during floods and ensure enough is available during dry periods. By working with the land, we can also support farming, create jobs, and help our communities stay strong and connected.

Where is the Upper Severn?

You can find a map of the Upper Severn on page 9.

Easing pressure on farming communities

The Severn Valley Water Management Scheme (SVWMS) is considering how it could best manage water on a catchment scale. It is exploring different ways to bring together the best of natural processes and sensitive engineering to realise our ambitions - a vibrant, resilient and prosperous Upper Severn, now and into the future.

Who is involved in the SVWMS? The SVWMS is being developed by a core partnership of the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales, Powys County Council and Shropshire Council. It is also supported by several other partnerships and organisations across the Upper Severn catchment.

The SVWMS supports national ambitions This partnership allows us to align the SVWMS with the wider goals and aspirations for Wales and England as outlined in the UK Government’s 25-Year Environment Plan and the Well-being of Future Generations Act in Wales. We bring together national and international best practice to drive real and lasting change aligned

Reducing the frequency and intensity of water stresses

Safeguarding homes and livelihoods

with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

What is this document about?

This document shares with you our emerging plan for reducing flooding in the Upper Severn.

The plan sets out the scale of intervention that we believe may be required to better manage water across the catchment, but involvement in its delivery will be voluntary. We recognise the pressures that many in the catchment are feeling and will work collaboratively as the plan develops to ensure that local knowledge drives the right solutions in the right place. Our intention is to create a framework that enables the scale up of the wonderful examples of sustainable water management that we already see across the catchment, while creating a funding approach that ensures those delivering wider value are rightly rewarded for it.

We consulted on the vision for the SVWMS in spring 2024.

Since then, we have been engaging with communities and partners across the catchment and undertaking analysis to help us identify what water management interventions are needed to reduce flood risk. The initial results of this work are presented in this document.

This is an emerging, not final, proposal. There will be ongoing opportunities for you to be involved in the scheme and help us refine our thinking. We will be using the information from this consultation to inform a draft

We want to hear from you Creating new jobs and investment opportunities 4

Making infrastructure more resilient to extreme weather

Connecting people with nature

Your aspirations, priorities, experience, expertise, and local knowledge of the area are critical for the scheme’s success. Page 14 provides more information on how you can be involved in this consultation.

What the SVWMS means for you

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Enhanced agricultural practices

nd

So

cia l b e n e fi t s

Environmen ta l

Improved river health and water quality

an

ce

New and exciting employment options

Businesses

• More job opportunities and economic growth • Reduced disturbance from flooding events • Increases in local tourism and recreational visits • Reduced disruption to customers and supply chains

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• Opportunities to locate interventions on land providing an additional revenue stream • Increased ability to manage water to support productive farming during wet and dry periods

Resilient water resources Improved farm productivity

fin

Farmers/ Landowners

Economic growth

g

te rm

Greater tourism and recreational attractions

Improved health and wellbeing in co me s

ership and own

Restored biodiversity

Ec on

enefits ic b om

Improved soil health and conservation

fits ne be

Reduced impacts and disruption from extreme weather

New and resilient business

Safeguarding communities Greater access to nature

Mon itorin g, evaluati on and review

erm g-t Lon

Le gis lat ion and polic y

evid enc e

Increased natural capital

ng a

Local communities

• Reduced flood risk and associated impacts on communities • More recreational spaces and access to nature • Enhanced water quality, local environments and biodiversity • More job opportunities and economic growth

Development supporting local communities

Improved air quality

What these benefits mean for:

pa rtn er sh ip

in g

Go ve rn an ce

Resilient groundwater

i Fund

weather • Support for farming and local businesses • Restored biodiversity and natural habitats • Improved river health and water quality • New employment opportunities and economic growth • Improved health and wellbeing • Enhanced recreational spaces and access to nature

and unlock the greatest local opportunities • Compensate landowners, and find ways to make interventions on their land work for them financially • Fund and finance the SVWMS in the short and long term • Construct and maintain the interventions

Data, informatio n and

• Greater resilience to extreme

• Address the biggest concerns

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Eff ec tiv e

ing ak nm o i s ci de

ation ticip par ity un mm Co

We expect to see a range of benefits, including:

ENABLERS

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The SVWMS will reduce flood risk, providing wide-ranging benefits for people and the environment.

To be successful, we cannot simply produce a strategy that outlines which interventions go where. We need to continue to form effective partnerships to:

nce fina and g in nd Fu

Benefits for people, nature and the local economy

nn la ep v i t ap ad

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Our approach We need to store a lot of water

Over 230 data sources analysed

Understanding the catchment

We have done a detailed analysis of what we can expect from extreme weather events now and into the future.

Storing water temporarily, and releasing it slowly, will significantly reduce flooding felt downstream.

Identifying where we could store water, how much, and for how long has been critical to understanding what is possible.

Our approach to solving this problem involves the community and partners The approach we are taking to developing the SVWMS is shown in the diagram to the right.

Everyone is critical to this approach

We are keen to engage with communities, land owners, businesses, and farmers to ensure the SVWMS is successful. Our approach shows how we have and will continue to engage with you throughout the process.

Page 14 provides more information on how you can be involved in this consultation.

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Multiple site visits to better understand the area

Continuous engagement and feedback

To meet this challenge, up to 100 million cubic metres of water will need to be stored during flood events. This is the equivalent of 40,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools, or 3.8 years of daily water consumption for the whole of Shropshire and Powys combined.

Engaged with local communities and partners to gain local insights

Exploring what types of interventions may work

Defined types of interventions: land use enhancement, natural flood management, engineering Developed understanding of challenges and opportunities Tested ideas and delivery through our demonstrator programme

we are here

Refining our interventions

Using digital tools to explore differing combinations of interventions Assessing potential impacts of interventions to find those with the most benefits Engaging with communities, partners and government to shape our proposals

Refining a future approach

Economic assessment and refinement of funding approach Sustainability appraisal to ensure best outcome for the region Developing a strategy and route map to delivery

What interventions we are considering Nature and engineering must work together

Achieving the right balance

Three types of flood management interventions are being explored to ensure the scheme can store the flood water needed. These are: Land use enhancement: such as buffer strips, wet woodlands, tree planting, floodplain restoration, peat restoration and soil management. These measures help slow water flow, improve habitats, and support farming and wildlife.

Natural flood management: such as passive floodplain storage, runoff attenuation features and use of large woody material. These measures work with the landscape to reduce flood risk and provide additional benefits for people and nature.

Temporary flood storage area

Natural flood management has a role to play in reducing flood risk and offers many benefits. However, engineered interventions are needed to provide greater certainty in reducing flood risk during more extreme events.

The SVWMS is being developed to reduce flood risk across the catchment, but there may still be some areas where more localised intervention, such as low flood walls or property-level resilience, is needed. Under current conditions these sorts of features would not be possible due to the flood levels witnessed or predicted. With the SVWMS these approaches would be more feasible.

Tree Planting

Grip Blocking/ Gully Stuffing Peat Restoration

Soil Management

Wet Woodland Large Woody Material

Floodplain Restoration

Passive Floodplain Storage

Buffer Strip

Runoff Attenuation Features

Temporary flood storage areas (FSAs): interventions designed to temporarily store water during large flood events, reducing the impact of flooding. In some cases, temporary flood storage areas will need to hold 2-10m depth of water during more extreme flood events.

Find out more

You can find out more about the vision, purpose and key interventions envisioned for the SVWMS on our website: www.severnvalleywatermanagementscheme. commonplace.is 7

The emerging plan

Where we are We cannot reduce flood risk to properties with natural flood management or land use enhancement interventions alone.

The emerging opportunities Through engagement and data analysis, we have a picture of what interventions might be possible across the catchment, as well as the size and number needed.

Our analysis has shown that there is a need to manage up to 100 million cubic metres of flood water during extreme events – the equivalent of 3.8 years of daily water consumption for the whole of Shropshire and Powys.

Temporary flood storage areas

The yellow circles on the map (page 9) show the areas of search where we believe temporary flood storage would be most effective at reducing local and catchment-wide flood risk. The exact locations, the way these will look, and what the land could be used for when not storing flood water will be shaped by your ideas and by more detailed studies.

We have identified areas where we think they could work best. Flood storage areas will mostly be on land that is already flooded during heavy rainfall.

Help us to develop our understanding of the approximate flood storage areas and how we maximise existing floodplains to store water.

In some places, we will need to temporarily increase the depth of water by 2-10m in flood events.

What do you want us to consider as we go on to explore the other uses of these areas when they aren't flooding?

Locating flood storage areas on land can provide an income stream for landowners – in some cases on land that currently has limited productivity.

Help us identify how we can most effectively work with landowners to refine locations.

They will only hold flood water during and after flooding events. Outside of this, the land could be used for other activities.

What does the emerging plan show?

The areas shown in green on the map (page 9) illustrate where the best opportunities are to implement land use enhancement or natural flood management interventions to manage flood risk. We haven't determined which specific mix of interventions could be used as this depends, in part, on the needs of local landowners and managers.

We have identified where the best opportunities are in the catchment.

Natural flood management Land use enhancement

Natural flood management and land use enhancement perform best when used to reduce lower severity flooding, but they can't store all flood water in more extreme events.

We know that delivering at scale will unlock the most environmental benefits.

The approach to land use enhancement can be flexible. For example, one acre of tree planting on pasture could have a similar effect as two acres of enhanced soil management.

An impression of what a temporary flood storage area in the Upper Severn could look like normally (left) and during storm events (right).

We want to hear from you We are committed to hearing from communities, businesses, farmers and others to develop and deliver the SVWMS. This page outlines some specific questions we would like your feedback on.

Page 14 provides more information on how you can be involved in this consultation.

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What we are asking you

Help us to explore which interventions would work best for you, in your area.

Help us identify the best location to locate natural flood management or land use enhancement interventions on your land.

This map shows areas of opportunity for enhanced management of water.

Not everything will have to happen everywhere, but the scale of intervention needed to manage existing and future flood risk is significant.

A470 We want to work collaboratively with you to co-develop solutions across the catchment, whilst ensuring that we create a funding model that pays for the value that you create.

Oswestry

A Lake Vyrnwy

This plan is an initial starting point but the detail that is taken forward will be driven and owned by you. This is not a case of losing or giving up land, but of potentially thinking about how that land can create new and different investment.

Shrewsbury B

Indicative areas where we believe flood storage areas may be most effective at reducing local and catchment flood risk.

A

Llangedwyn

B

Llanerfyl

C

Welshpool

D

Worthen

E

Stockton

F

Caersws

G

Llandinam

C Welshpool Minsterley

D

E

Clywedog reservoir

F Newtown G Key

En

gl

W al

Areas of search for temporary flood storage areas

Sub-catchment border

Natural Flood Management opportunities

Welsh & English border

Land use enhancement opportunities

Rivers

an

d

es

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Where nature can help Tanat

Where in the catchment are different interventions most effective?

Land use enhancement

We want to work with you to identify opportunities for delivering natural flood management and land use enhancement interventions.

•B uffer strips •T ree planting •S tage zero •P eatland restoration

Not every intervention is suitable for every location. We have explored what different approaches work best in different areas.

The interventions are ordered in terms of their suitability to those areas.

• Floodplain reconnection •S oil Management

Natural flood management •R unoff attenuation feature •L arge woody material •G rip blocking •P assive floodplain storage

Natural flood management

• Stage zero • Buffer strips

• Runoff attenuation feature

• Soil management

• Large woody material

• Floodplain reconnection

• Passive floodplain storage

Rea Land use enhancement

Land use enhancement

Natural flood management

•P eatland restoration

•L arge woody material

•B uffer strips

• Soil management

•T ree planting

•R unoff attenuation feature

• Stage zero

•S tage zero

•G rip blocking

• Floodplain reconnection

•W et woodland

•G ully stuffing

• Tree planting

• Floodplain reconnection

•P assive floodplain storage

Land use enhanement

• Buffer strips

Natural Flood Management

•B uffer strips •T ree planting

Land use enhancement • Buffer strips • Stage zero

•R unoff attenuation feature

• Soil management

•P eatland restoration • Floodplain reconnection

•G rip blocking

•S oil management

•P assive floodplain Storage

•W et woodland

•G ully stuffing

•S et back embankments

Natural flood management • Runoff attenuation feature • Large woody material • Passive floodplain storage

Severn, Rhiw & Camlad

•L arge woody material

•S tage zero

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Land use enhancement

Vyrnwy

Hafren and Clywedog

You can find out more about the vision, purpose and key interventions envisioned for the SVWMS on our website: www.severnvalleywatermanagementscheme. commonplace.is

Perry

• Floodplain reconnection • Tree planting

Natural flood anagement

• Runoff attenuation feature • Large woody material • Passive foodplain Storage

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Preparing for future delivery Funding and Delivery

Learning from doing

To prepare for the strategy, we have begun working with project partners, exploring how we can collaborate to deliver our shared objectives. We know that working effectively across the Wales-England border means addressing shared challenges and developing shared solutions. Those solutions need to work for local communities, drive resilience and retain the unique character of the area.

We don’t want the SVWMS to be a theoretical exercise and we are aware that the reality on the ground can feel very different.

Marches Forward Partnership

Those projects (described on page 13) are helping us to:

The Marches Forward Partnership has been formed, bringing together key partners and stakeholders across Powys, Monmouthshire, Shropshire and Herefordshire to ensure decisions are made based on a shared vision. A cross-border partnership, focused on rural prosperity and long-term resilience, the partnership offers a unique opportunity to consider a new way of working. We hope this new way of working will help us attract investment and support delivery.

The partnership is exploring funding mechanisms, working with potential private and public investors, as well as farming leads, to understand how a funding package could support future delivery.

Critically, we know that funding needs to pay for the right thing in the right place, and be invested in local farmers, communities and businesses to make the greatest impact.

Our goal is to create funding processes that allow investors to support the environmental, social and economic outcomes that matter most to our communities.

More information on the types of funding being considered and what this all means for landowners and managers will be presented in the draft strategy next year.

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To learn through doing and shape the SVWMS, we have a series of demonstrator projects being delivered with, and by, over 30 different partner organisations.

• Demonstrate what natural flood management can look like

• Understand how natural flood management

can successfully compliment existing farming practices • Understand where there are real world barriers (such as consenting or permitting processes) • Ensure we can open future career pathways for the community

Learning from you The SVWMS is being developed in partnership with you.

Your input Your land Your investment Your future

The Demonstrator Programme What are the projects?

More than 30 partner organisations have come together across 8 project teams to test how land use enhancement and natural flood management interventions can work to address flood risk and drought resilience in the Upper Severn.

The projects are designed to help us understand how we can create and deliver solutions that support food production, improve existing delivery processes (such as faster consenting and permitting), develop community-led initiatives, and identify new and diverse sources of funding.

Overview of the projects Rea Brook – Working with farms in the catchment to create and build complex natural flood management schemes to reduce risk to local people, homes and road networks. This will help us understand costs, how we can design interventions, and speed up consenting processes.

Guilsfield – Focused on delivering small scale natural flood management features. This will help us understand the costs involved, and how to empower local farmers, contractors and communities to deliver flood management interventions.

Perry and Peatland – Involves farmers designing and implementing natural flood management. This will help us understand how different farming businesses can support natural flood management – including using peatland soils as an intervention.

Oswestry Depave – Demonstrates how to convert impermeable surfaces around a town (e.g. concrete) to surfaces that allow water to flow through them. This will address flooding, create new green space and empower local communities to address flooding.

Attingham Estate – Helps us understand the best way to navigate planning, consenting and design of land use enhancement to improve habitats and visitor experience. We are in the process of negotiating working between landlords and tenants.

Centre for Living with Climate Change – Developing new career pathways, skills and educational opportunities in the Upper Severn. It is focusing on how preparing for climate change will shape work and employment in the Upper Severn.

Marches Future Farming – A group of farmers, consultants and academics have set out to understand the current farming landscape of the Upper Severn.

Carefully they are gathering views, insights and the farming community’s own vision for the future land and water management of the Upper Severn. The team will also be carrying out specific research into farm businesses and groundwater recharge.

Geospatial – Ground-breaking innovation in mapping technology to inform future decision making, improve understanding of local flood and drought conditions, and support community-led water monitoring.

Who's involved?

Note that the Marches Future Farming is a different group to the Marches Forward Partnership; however, they are working closely together.

What we’re learning Over the coming months we will be publishing case studies from the Demonstrator Programme outlining the key outcomes and lessons learned.

These will inform the draft strategy and help plan the delivery of the strategy.

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How you can get involved We want everyone to have the opportunity to learn about the SVWMS and share their views. That’s why we’re holding consultation events at venues across the catchment area. These events are open to all, and members of our project team will be available to answer your questions.

Consultation drop-in events

You can also view consultation materials and provide feedback at local libraries and community leisure centres in the locations listed on the next page. We encourage you to come along, take part, and help shape the future of water management in your community.

All drop-in events will run from 2pm until 7pm.

Our website All the latest news and information on the SVWMS is on our website. During the consultation period, you can view all materials and provide feedback online at: www.severnvalleywatermanagementscheme. commonplace.is

We will hold bespoke drop-in events at venues across the catchment over the coming weeks (see details on page 15). Project team members will be available at these drop-in locations to answer questions and provide printed materials.

We also welcome views on other ways in which we can best engage and share the work that we are doing.

For any suggestions, please get in touch through our website.

Hard copy locations We recognise that not everyone has access to online services. You can find our consultation materials in hard copy at libraries and community leisure centres in the locations listed on page 15.

Support locations We understand that some people may need support to understand the proposals and provide their feedback outside of the drop-in events. Please visit our support locations to receive help with completing your consultation feedback.

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A5 Consultation drop-in locations

Hard copy locations

A495

All drop-in events will run from 2pm to 7pm

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Melverley – 06 January 2026 Melverley Village Hall Oswestry, SY10 8PH Bettws – 13 January 2026 Bettws Village Hall Bettws Cedewain, Newtown, Powys, SY16 3DS

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Shrewsbury – 20 January 2026 Theatre Severn Frankwell, Shrewsbury, SY3 8FT

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Oswestry – 04 February 2026 Oswestry Cricket Club Morda Rd, Oswestry SY11 2AY

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Llanfyllin – 09 February 2026 Llanfyllin Library Youth & Community Centre, Council Buildings, Llanfyllin, SY22 5DB

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Llanidloes – 12 February 2026 Hanging Gardens Project Bethel Street, Llanidloes, SY18 6BS

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Leisure Centre A470 Shrewsbury Rd, Oswestry SY11 4QB

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Minsterley – 30 January 2026 Minsterley Parish Hall A488, Minsterley, Shrewsbury SY5 0EH

Oswestry Oswestry library Arthur St, Oswestry SY11 1JN

Harlech 2 Oswestry

Welshpool – 15 January 2026 Town Hall 42 Broad Street, Welshpool, SY21 7JQ

Caersws – 28 January 2026 Presbyterian Church Main St, Caersws, SY17 5EN

Ellesmere

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Gobowen, Oswestry Gobowen Library St Martins Road, Oswestry, SY11 3NP

Barmouth Newtown

A487

Welshpool Flash Leisure Centre Salop Rd, Welshpool SY21 7DH

Aberystwyth 2

A470

Cefn Coch

Llanwnog Staylittle

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A458

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Bayston 2 Hill

6 Minsterley

Forden Montgomery

Carno

Trefeglwys 5 Llandinam

5 Abermule 4 3

Church Stoke

Newtown

Dolfor

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A49

Cwmbelan

Shrewsbury Shrewsbury library Castle Gates, Shrewsbury SY1 2AS Newtown Newtown library Park Ln, Newtown SY16 1EJ

River Severn

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2

A483

A487 3

A458

Llanfair Caereinion

Shrewsbury Shrewsbury Library Castle Gates, Shrewsbury, SY1 2AS

Oswestry Oswestry library Arthur St, Oswestry SY11 1JN

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Meifod

Dolanog Llangadfan

A458

Maldwyn Leisure Centre Plantation Ln, Newtown SY16 1LH

Baschurch

Four Crosses

River Vyrnwy

Support locations 1

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Llanwyddyn

Dolgellau

Shrewsbury The Quarry Swimming and Fitness Centre Priory Rd, Shrewsbury SY1 1RU

2 1 3 Kinnerley

Newtown Newtown Library Park Lane, Newtown, SY16 1EJ

Welshpool Welshpool library/Y Lanfa The Canal Wharf, Welshpool, SY21 7AQ

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Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant Pen-y-Bont-Fawr

Key Catchment area

A470

Rivers Wales-England border

Welshpool Welshpool library/Y Lanfa The Canal Wharf, Welshpool, SY21 7AQ

Llandrindod Wells

A49

Add title

Leominster

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Partnership is formed

Sustainability Objectives

emerging opportunities

of the SVWMS

Next steps 2019–2020 Catchment Partnership is formed

Summer - Autumn 2026 Production of draft strategy

Autumn 2026 - early 2027 Consultation on draft strategy

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2021–2024 Initial studies secure funding

Now

Public consultation on emerging opportunities

Spring 2027

Update and finalise strategy

Spring 2024 Setting our Sustainability Objectives

Autumn 2024 - Summer 2025 Public engagement

Summer 2027 Strategy adopted

2027 onward Roll out of SVWMS

The Strategy

And then what?

The emerging plan presented in this consultation document is not a final proposal; it outlines next steps in developing the draft strategy.

This strategy is at a scale that few have attempted before. Its success will require innovation and working across physical, political, and organisational boundaries.

We are engaging with you now to shape the flood management interventions that will be part of this strategy. Your feedback will help us understand what will and will not work and identify any further thinking that's needed.

Following this consultation there will be further analysis of economic and environmental implications, and we will develop a funding approach that creates investment and revenue for those who support in the delivery of this project in the future.

We will consult on our draft strategy in autumn 2026 to winter 2027.

A key part of our next steps will be working closely with the Marches Forward Partnership to ensure that a regional approach is taken to securing funding and allocating investment.

Stay connected Together we can preserve and enhance the Upper Severn.

We will continue to engage with you throughout the development of the strategy. Please provide any formal feedback by 11 March 2026 to help us develop the strategy. You can submit your feedback online, send your feedback by email to SVWMS@ environment-agency.gov.uk or by post to: SVWMS, The Environment Agency, Hafren House, Welshpool Rd, Shelton, Bicton Heath, Shrewsbury SY3 8BB. If you have any questions about the consultation materials, please let us know.

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Keep updated by checking our website:

www.severnvalleywatermanagementscheme.commonplace.is If you have any questions, you can also contact us at: SVWMS@environment-agency.gov.uk

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Keep updated by checking out our website severnvalleywatermanagementscheme.commonplace.is If you have any questions about the Scheme, you can contact us at SVWMS@environment-agency.gov.uk 20