Project places

Where Catchment to Coast is working on a range of measures

The catchment

A catchment is the area of land where the rain that falls eventually ends up in a single river before reaching the sea. By using a catchment-based approach we can look after our rivers and the areas around them.

For the Catchment to Coast project we’ve divided our water catchment into three areas: the upper, middle and lower catchment. Each of these areas has a different role to play in the way that water affects and is affected by, our local environment.

Upper catchment

We’re using innovative measures to keep water on the land longer and slow the flow down through the catchment to urban areas.

The upper catchments within the project area are a mixture of woodland and farmland. Across the Stanford-le-Hope, Shoebury and Prittlewell areas we're using land-management measures such as leaky dams, tree planting and innovative rain gardens to hold water upstream for longer and reduce the volumes and flow rates of water moving down through the catchment. This improves flood resilience downstream in urban areas.

Belfairs Wood

Wet woodland and leaky dams

Splashing water. Photo by frame harirak.

Daws Heath

Micro sustainable drainage on a new development

North Shoebury

Innovative wet verge systems

Stanford-le-Hope

Leaky dams with mycelium

Middle catchment

We’re capturing, storing, treating and re-using rainwater to improve flood resilience and reduce demand on our mains water supply.

To improve flood resilience in the urban middle catchments of Stanford-le-Hope, Prittlewell and Shoebury we're using various rainwater harvesting solutions to capture rainwater. After treatment, using nature-based solutions, the water will be stored for re-use during periods of drought. We're managing the flow, high and low!

Fairmead Avenue

Residential retrofit of water butts and other water saving measures

Juniper Road

Sustainable urban drainage systems and much more in Juniper Road

Manchester Drive allotments

Rainwater capture, storage and re-use

Rain on a window. Photo by Cole Keister.

Ruskin Road

Residential sustainable drainage systems in Stanford-le-Hope

Ruskin Road recreation ground

Water capture, storage and reuse

Shoebury development area

Sustainable drainage systems and water resilience in a new development

St Mary’s

Rainscaping, community garden and A13 road drainage around the St Mary’s Nature Reserve in Shoebury

Algae growing on a sea-wall installation at Leigh High Street

Lower catchment

We’re creating innovative nature-based solutions to improve coastal resilience and improve water quality.

Along the coastlines of Southend and Thurrock, saltmarsh regeneration, floating barriers and sea wall enhancements will help protect the land from erosion and stop water from historic landfill dumps from spilling into our coastal waters.

Map of all our places

All the places in the catchment where we’re working, or hoping to install measures as part of Catchment to Coast.

Yellow: Lower catchment
Green: Middle catchment
Blue: Upper catchment