Vast basins set to protect flood-prone village

After years of disruptive inundations, a rural community on the outskirts of Watton in Norfolk is turning a corner. Engineers have finished carving out vast flood-storage basins above Saham Toney, a village repeatedly hit by surface-water surges over the last thirty years. The new earthworks are designed to slow, store, and safely release stormwater that once raced off fields and roads into people’s homes.

Local authorities identified the catchment as a priority for action, backing a plan that includes a flagship basin with room for about 22,000 cubic metres of water—roughly the volume of nine Olympic pools—delivered ahead of schedule and for less than expected. A companion basin will follow on parish-owned land next year, completing a paired system intended to shield more than 30 properties from extreme downpours.

The full package blends traditional engineering with nature-based tools: two large attenuation basins are complemented by 14 “leaky” dams—small, permeable barriers built from timber and natural materials that temporarily hold back peak flows. Together, these measures flatten flood peaks, reduce erosion, and give the landscape time to soak up water rather than shed it downstream in a destructive rush.

The scheme was jointly funded by Norfolk County Council, Anglian Water, and central government, and constructed by the Norfolk Rivers Internal Drainage Board. The county had initially earmarked around £700,000; final costs have come in under that figure, an increasingly rare outcome for climate-resilience projects as materials and labour grow more expensive.

Community advocates say the intervention can’t come soon enough. Residents recall a sequence of intense storms—deluges in 2009, 2016, and 2020 delivered tens of millimetres of rain in just hours—overwhelming drains and watercourses. With nowhere to go, runoff poured off roads and fields into gardens, garages, and living rooms, leaving behind months of upheaval and stress.

Local flood groups from Watton and Saham Toney have worked in lockstep for years, highlighting that the two settlements share the same hydrology and the same problems. Their message has been consistent: resilience has to be planned at the scale of the catchment, not just individual streets.

Project leaders point to collaboration as the decisive factor. Coordinated planning between the county, water company, drainage board, and community groups allowed land access, design, and construction to align—avoiding delays that often stall rural flood work. According to those involved, the outcome is not only physical protection but also peace of mind for residents who have watched weather warnings with dread.

Crucially, local landowners have been part of the solution. The first basin sits on private land where initial concerns gave way to support once the long-term benefits became clear. By slowing water, the structures can stabilize soil moisture, reduce field erosion, and enhance wildlife habitat. Amphibians, in particular, gain seasonal water bodies, while birds and pollinators benefit from wetter margins and new vegetation. For farmers, improved water retention during dry spells can translate into more resilient crops as summers become hotter and rainfall more erratic.

Officials describe the initiative as among the largest flood-mitigation efforts delivered in the county in recent years—both in scale and in the way it integrates natural processes into engineered systems. That integration is vital in a warming climate. The UK is already experiencing more frequent heavy rainfall events, and episodes of drought often follow. Projects that can buffer both extremes—holding back floodwater and keeping moisture in the ground—offer twice the value for communities and agriculture.

The next steps include completing the second basin, monitoring how the new features perform during storms, and adjusting maintenance plans as vegetation establishes. Over time, the basins and leaky dams should become part of the living landscape, blending into hedgerows and field edges while quietly absorbing shocks that would once have overwhelmed the village below.

For Saham Toney and its neighbours, the basins represent more than earthworks—they are a new contract with the land. By making space for water upstream, the community is investing in safety, biodiversity, and a climate-ready countryside.