Severn Trent teams will start work Ladybrook this week as the company’s £76 million flood alleviation scheme in Mansfield moves full speed ahead.

Over 180 Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) will be installed across Ladybrook and will include permeable paving, street and verge raingardens, and bioswales, making the community more resilient against the increasing threat of flooding from climate change, population growth and urban development. 

These environmentally friendly interventions will slow surface water down by storing and filtering it before returning it to the network, meaning the network isn’t overwhelmed in storm events.

When the whole Mansfield project is completed in 2025, the SuDS will capture around 58 million litres of surface water – the equivalent of around 23 Olympic-size swimming pools.

The work, which will start on Newcastle Street and Milton Street this week, will also have a secondary benefit of a reduced need for storm overflow activations, improving river health locally, and supporting Severn Trent’s Get River Positive commitment that its operations will not be the reason for unhealthy rivers by 2030.

Adam Boucher, from Severn Trent said: “We’re looking forward to starting this really important work in Ladybrook which will help protect the area from surface water flooding, as well as providing a range of other benefits to the local community.

“Our teams have been working flat out across Mansfield to deliver this fantastic project that will have a wonderful impact for 90,000 local people in the area. I’d like to thank everyone in Ladybrook in advance for their patience and understanding whilst we work in the local area.

“We’re doing all we can, alongside our partners Galliford Try, Kier, Mansfield District Council and Nottinghamshire County Council to complete our work as quickly and as safely as possible, to develop a greener, cleaner vision for Mansfield.”

Councillor Andy Burgin, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Leisure for Mansfield District Council, said: “I am thrilled to see this exciting and innovative project reaching another milestone. Implementing all these flood alleviation measures across our district is making Mansfield better prepared for flooding events in the future, and the works also complement our urban greening projects around the district. Most recently, the Memorial Garden at the rear of the Old Town Hall is now fully open for use, and the 3,200 trees planted in our award-winning parks earlier in the year are starting to take shape.

“I am confident with the continuing roll-out of new rain gardens, permeable paving and bioswales that they will help to make Mansfield’s residential areas more attractive and resilient against flooding in the future.”

For more information on the work happening in Mansfield, please visit stwater.co.uk/Mansfield.