Tree planting on farms in Yorkshire to be encouraged to prevent flooding

Farmers in the Ripon area of Yorkshire are being offered enhanced grants by the Environment Agency to help reduce flooding risk. The Ripon Multi Objective Project has been set up specifically to protect the town of Ripon from flooding. The project area falls mainly within the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and covers some some 140 sq km of land to the west of the city which drains into the River Skell, River Laver, Kex Beck and their tributaries. The project aims to slow down water run-off from the land by changing land management. It should also help prevent soil and nutrient loss and create new habitats to improve biodiversity. More information is available here. ‘Agrofore’ has seen lines of trees planted in ‘herring-bone’ shapes on the flood plains of French rivers (see photo). Colleagues are invited to comment on suitable designs which could be used in Yorkshire?