A natural flood management scheme is to be installed on a flood-prone river in north Suffolk.
The River Tin, named locally as ‘Tin River’ is a tributary of the River Waveney that has long contributed to flooding across the Bungay area.
Now, Suffolk County Council, in partnership with the River Waveney Trust, has secured more than £50,000 from the East Anglian Regional Flood and Coastal Committee.
The work will deliver a number of features to enhance biodiversity and reduce flood risk to Bungay. Delivery is expected in 2026.
The Tin River catchment area covers around 17 square miles, with the river flowing through Bungay before connecting to the River Waveney.
Tin River has been heavily modified over the years through straightening and deepening.
The channel often runs dry in the summer but is susceptible to rapid rises in water levels during storms, overwhelming the system, and resulting in flash flooding.
The nearby A144 floods regularly - sometimes along a 500-metre stretch - causing disruption to residents, businesses, and agricultural operations.
Downstream, the town of Bungay continues to face surface-water flooding risks, with a number of residential properties being at risk of flooding.
The works will take place along the river at two separate locations and will comprise of a range of natural features.
This includes reconnection of a meadow to the floodplain, construction of a new pond to create water storage, and installing a series of leaky barriers - dams made from natural woody materials, designed to allow water to spill naturally onto the meadow during heavy rainfall, slowing flow, increasing infiltration, and reducing downstream flood risk.
Matt Hullis, Head of Environment Strategy for Suffolk County Council, said: “The Tin is a small but ecologically significant tributary of the River Waveney.
“Recent conservation projects have enhanced its role as a wildlife corridor, making it an important part of Suffolk’s river landscape.
“The measures we are undertaking will reduce flood risk to homes, businesses, and transport routes; increase water storage and slowing flow, improve water quality and enhance biodiversity across its catchment area.”
Angela Lamb of the River Waveney Trust said: “We are really pleased to be working in partnership with Suffolk County Council, local landowners and the community of Bungay to develop projects on Tin River. It is a fantastic opportunity to create more diverse habitat, improve water quality and have a positive impact on downstream flooding.
“Developing these two sites is just the start of wider plans; we are looking for further opportunities within the Tin River catchment to re-establish natural river processes.
“It is not possible to prevent all flood events from Tin River, but we can reduce that impact by slowing the flow of water through its tributaries and by finding more places for natural water storage within the landscape upstream of St John's Road.
“We are focused on developing a catchment-wide project that creates a wildlife corridor through an agricultural landscape, some of which is accessible by public footpaths, so it's good news for wildlife and the people of Bungay.”
Councillor Paul West, Suffolk County Council Cabinet Member for Operational Highways and Flooding, said: “These important works are good news for the public and the environment.
“Flooding severely disrupts road networks through closures, structural damage, and traffic delays, hindering transportation and emergency response.
“These works will also enhance wetland and meadow habitats, giving the public restored views of the river from local footpaths and increasing wildlife presence in the revitalised wetland areas.”
