FAQs

Nature-based options don’t just manage water – they bring wider benefits. Features like green spaces, ponds and tree planting can:

• Slow down rainwater, reducing pressure on drains.
• Improve local biodiversity by creating habitats for wildlife.
• Provide extra green spaces for the community.
• Help tackle climate change by storing carbon and cooling urban areas.

Tackling this now will reduce flood risk for people, homes and other local buildings and power supplies (known as infrastructure) in the Parklands area by 2030 by:

• Helping the community to be better prepared for flooding and to understand how climate change affects the area by 2030.
• Creating environmental benefits alongside flood protection, supporting West Sussex County Council’s biodiversity goals by 2030.
• Simplifying maintenance of drainage and flood defences by managing water across the whole area rather than trying to fix problems one-by-one.
• Cutting carbon emissions by choosing options that use less energy and materials, helping meet West Sussex County Council’s carbon-neutral targets by 2030.

We’ve already completed the first two stages of the project:

• Phase 1 – Catchment analysis: we studied the whole area to understand how water moves and where problems start.
• Phase 2 – Opportunity mapping: we identified the main causes of flooding, including:  
  • Water running off fields to the north of the catchment.
  • Drains backing up and water overflowing from manholes during heavy rain.

We’re in Phase 3 – Developing options. This means:

• Looking at a range of possible long-term solutions to reduce flooding.
• Refining the long list of options based on feedback from local residents and other stakeholders.

Phase 3 (Developing options) is due to be completed in December 2025.

We aim to narrow down to a shortlist of options and then a preferred option.

We will then produce an outline business case (OBC) in January 2026. This will be submitted to the Environment Agency (EA) for funding.