Kilton Beck study will explore natural flood measures for Loftus and Skinningrove

A new East Cleveland project will examine how changes across the Kilton Beck catchment could reduce flood risk in Skinningrove and Loftus while improving habitats and access to nature.

Tees Valley Wildlife Trust is recruiting a project manager and project officer to lead the development work. The manager role closes on Sunday 25 October, with the Trust describing the work as a natural flood management feasibility project rather than an approved construction scheme.

A catchment-wide study

The project will bring together farmers, landowners, residents and partner organisations to identify places where nature-based measures may be practical. Its development phase is intended to produce a shared plan for the catchment, supported by technical studies, community engagement and a case for future investment.

The Project Officer role pack says the aim is to co-create a long-term programme to reduce flooding in Skinningrove and Loftus. Work will include building a catchment partnership, working with consultants, visiting sites and gathering evidence for a delivery plan. The officer post is fixed term until 28 February 2028 and is supported by Northumbrian Water's Bluespaces funding.

Community involvement is built into the brief. The Trust plans engagement with people who face barriers to using the local water environment, as well as workshops with farmers and land managers. Possible pilot activity could include volunteering, citizen science or arts workshops, though the final programme has not yet been decided.

What natural flood management can do

Natural flood management uses features of the landscape to slow and store water. Government guidance lists measures such as soil and land management, river and floodplain work, woodland management and ways of holding back run-off. Depending on the site, that can mean wetlands, ponds, hedgerows or leaky barriers.

Those approaches can also improve habitat, water quality and wellbeing. However, they are not a simple replacement for engineered defences. An Environment Agency evaluation found that results vary with catchment conditions, and that several measures spread across a catchment usually have more effect than a single intervention. That uncertainty is one reason the East Cleveland work begins with feasibility, evidence and consultation.

Why Kilton Beck matters

Kilton Beck runs through the East Cleveland landscape to Skinningrove. The Tees Valley Local Nature Recovery Strategy evidence base identifies the beck among the area's rivers and streams that support a range of plants and animals. The new study will consider flood risk alongside biodiversity and the connection between local communities and blue spaces.

No construction budget, list of measures or timetable for work on the ground has been published. The development team will first need to understand the catchment, agree priorities with landowners and communities, and prepare a long-term implementation plan and funding bid. Any later intervention would also need the relevant permissions and land agreements.

What happens next

Applications for the project manager role close on Sunday 25 October. The post is full time, fixed term and based at Margrove Heritage Centre in Boosbeck, with a salary of £32,211. More information is available from Tees Valley Wildlife Trust, whose recruitment page lists chief executive Tom Harman as the contact for the role.