The successful projects are:
* Pickering Beck and River Seven, near Pickering, North Yorkshire - project managed by Forest Research; and
* Upper Derwent Valley, Derbyshire - project managed by the Environment Agency.
The Pickering project aims to slow down the progress of flood water from upper catchment areas into rivers and watercourses in Pickering and Sinnington by planting trees and blocking moorland drains. Woodland planting can slow down water flows by improving soil structure, reducing erosion and improving water absorption.
Pickering has flooded four times in the last ten years during summer storms.
The project is a partnership between Forest Research (the research arm of the Forestry Commission), the Environment Agency, North York Moors National Park, Natural England and the Regional Flood Defence Committee. Defra is contributing £247,000 to the total £700,000 cost of the scheme.
