Project overview
Delivering low-carbon flood resilience and regeneration in Stoke-on-Trent
The Fowlea Brook Flood Risk Management Scheme is a flagship project demonstrating how sustainable engineering, collaborative delivery and innovative thinking can transform a highly constrained urban environment into a resilient, future-ready asset.
Located in the centre of Stoke-on-Trent, the scheme addressed long-standing flood risk while unlocking regeneration opportunities and delivering meaningful environmental enhancements. Completed in December 2025, the project combined retrofit engineering, digital innovation and multidisciplinary collaboration to achieve a low-carbon, high-impact solution.
Key statistics
26% increase in Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) units achieved
333 homes and businesses protected from flood risk
Winner: ICE West Midlands Team Achievement Award 2026
Winner: ICE West Midlands Carbon and Sustainability Award 2026
880 tCO₂e delivered versus 1021.81 tCO₂e baseline (≈141 tCO₂e saving)
The challenge
The project tackled a complex challenge: protecting communities within a confined, heavily engineered urban channel, where traditional solutions would have been both carbon intensive and economically unviable.
The team needed to:
- Provide long-term flood protection to an at-risk community
- Work within a constrained brownfield site with operational and social sensitivities
- Minimise disruption to local businesses and stakeholders
- Deliver a solution aligned with carbon reduction and climate resilience goals.
The ageing 1960s infrastructure required rethinking, rather than replacement, to meet modern hydraulic and environmental standards.
Our approach
As part of a collaborative, multidisciplinary partnership, WSP Binnies delivered project management and Ecological Clerk of Works services, helping to enhance lives, communities and the environment through sustainable infrastructure delivery. Working closely with the Environment Agency, Jackson Civil Engineering and Arup, WSP Binnies formed a uniquely integrated West Midlands partnership, working side-by-side to overcome a decade-long challenge through innovation and collaboration. Through shared purpose, co-location and collaborative innovation, the team ensured environmental performance and biodiversity were embedded throughout the project life cycle.
The success of this integrated approach was recognised through the ICE West Midlands Team Achievement Award 2026 and the ICE West Midlands Carbon and Sustainability Award 2026.
The team adopted a PAS-2080-aligned strategy, focusing on retaining and upgrading existing assets to minimise embodied carbon.
Key elements included:
- Retrofitting the existing channel to extend asset life and avoid high-carbon rebuild
- Digital modelling and drone surveys to support safe, efficient design and construction
- Integrated carbon management, with monthly monitoring and supply chain engagement
- Collaborative delivery through co-location, shared decision-making and systems thinking
- Targeted stakeholder engagement, ensuring business continuity and community trust
- Creating a better environment for wildlife, allowing fish to move freely along the waterway.
This approach enabled innovation while maintaining safety, functionality and cost-efficiency across the project life cycle.
Sustainability was central to every stage of delivery. By prioritising retrofit over replacement, the project preserved embodied carbon and delivered the lowest-carbon option.
Carbon and environmental measures included:
- Whole-life carbon optimisation aligned with PAS 2080 principles
- Low-emission plant and carbon-efficient site facilities
- Passive water management techniques, reducing operational energy demand
- Sustainable procurement – a strong regional supply chain supplied 65% of resources
- 7 km of upstream habitat opened
- Enhanced biodiversity through bespoke ecological planting and insect blocks
- Early ecological recovery evidenced throughout project construction
Ecological enhancements were delivered despite the constraints of a concrete-lined channel, demonstrating how infrastructure projects can still create meaningful biodiversity gains.
The project stands out for its strong partnership approach, with all organisations working as one integrated team.
Collaboration enabled:
- Rapid problem-solving in a constrained and sensitive environment
- Seamless coordination with local businesses to maintain operations
- Effective engagement with a diverse community
- Skills development and professional growth across the delivery team
The project also supported local economic resilience by sourcing a significant proportion of materials and services regionally and creating opportunities for apprenticeships and outreach.
The Fowlea Brook scheme has delivered wide-ranging benefits for people, place and the environment:
- Reduced flood risk and improved community resilience
- Enabled major regeneration and investment opportunities
- Delivered measurable carbon savings and ecological improvements
A model for future infrastructure
The Fowlea Brook Flood Risk Management Scheme demonstrates how low-carbon engineering, collaborative delivery and environmental stewardship can be combined to achieve outstanding outcomes.
By rethinking traditional approaches and embedding sustainability at every stage, the project sets a benchmark for future flood risk management and urban regeneration schemes across the UK.