Failing infrastructure caused some flooding issues in Rutland during Storm Babet and Storm Henk, report finds

A report into flooding after three storms hit Rutland in quick succession has found failing infrastructure caused some issues.

Rutland County Council contracted a consultancy firm to carry out the statutory section 19 reports that must happen after significant flooding events.

Storms Babet, Henk and an unnamed storm, hit the county between mid October 2023 and early January 2024, flooding a total of 57 properties across six villages predominantly in the northwest of the county, which has a mudstone geology.

The report, which has been carried out by analysing rainfall, flooding incidents, infrastructure and emergency response, has made a number of recommendations. It found that in Whitwell, which is close to Rutland Water, collapsed pipes, broken gullies and pipework buried beneath private buildings caused the issues which led to six homes becoming flooded.

An analysis of the various flood incidents across the county over the three storms found: “Flooding was primarily the result of surface water runoff and high-water levels in local watercourses due to intense rainfall and saturated ground. Mechanisms varied by location, including overtopping of watercourses, highway flooding, and blocked drainage infrastructure.”

Storm Babet, which wreaked havoc in October 2023, saw the wettest three day period ever recorded in the Midlands. After a prolonged period of rain by the January storms the ground was saturated.

The report says: ". . . the rainfall figures alone do not explain the impacts observed. In January 2024 and 2025, catchments were already saturated from prolonged wet weather. As a result, soils, rivers and drains had almost no spare capacity, meaning that even relatively frequent rainfall events led to significant flooding. It was therefore the combination of saturated conditions and rainfall that caused the widespread impacts, rather than the rainfall totals in isolation. Comparable levels of catchment saturation in Rutland have only been recorded on a small number of occasions in recent decades, typically following extended periods of above-average rainfall that left soils and rivers with little available capacity.”

Four of the six areas concentrated on in the report - Oakham, Barleythorpe, Langham, and Whissendine - are in the northwest of the county which has a predominantly mudstone geology.

The report produced by Arcadis Consulting says: “Mudstones generally have poor permeability so rainfall will not infiltrate into the ground effectively, which increases surface runoff.

“Combined with the steep slopes in the west of the county, this can result in water levels in watercourses changing rapidly during periods of heavy rain. Sandstones and limestones have a higher permeability and therefore rainfall is more likely to infiltrate into the ground and reduce the risk surface water flooding and rapid changes in water levels.”

A review of each area found the following circumstances and made the following key recommendation:

Whissendine - 6 homes flooded in total

Properties flooded as a result of the overflow from the Whissendine Brook, largely due to the constriction and poor maintenance of the watercourse. The Main Street road was impassable from high depths of surface water run-off.

Key recommendation - Explore improvements that could be implemented to the watercourse to improve conveyance and reduce the risk of the watercourse overtopping.

Langham - 10 properties were flooded

Properties flooded as a result of the overflow from the Langham Brook. Access along Melton Road became very limited due to high depths of surface water run-off and is contributed to by the overtopping of flood water from Langham Brook.

Key recommendation - Investigate options to reduce the out of bank flooding at Melton Road bridge.

Barleythorpe - 10 properties affected by floods

Properties flooded as a result of the overflow from the Barleythorpe Brook due to the restriction in the watercourse from the culvert and trash screen near Ostlers Drive.

Key recommendation - Investigate the flood mechanisms around Ostler’s Road and the upstream catchment, including reviewing the discharge mechanism and capacity of the attenuation pond and review the culvert capacities on the brook including the effectiveness of the trash screen.

Oakham - 16 homes affected

Properties flooded as a result of surface water run-off, largely from rainfall to the west of the town and flowing down the natural topography to the east, causing flooding on highways and properties.

Key recommendation - Investigate options to reduce the flow path along Cold Overton Road.

Whitwell - 6 homes flooded

Surface water flowed across agricultural fields and onto highways like Exton Road, which provided a flow path into the centre of the village resulting in flooding of roads and properties.

Key recommendation - Explore ways of controlling the flow path along Exton Road and an effective plan to improve the drainage network of the area.

Barrowden - 9 homes flooded

The flooding was caused by run-off from agricultural fields to the north of the village flow onto roads that provide a flow path into the village, down towards the River Welland. The surface water resulted in highway and property flooding.

Key recommendation - Explore ways to reduce the frequency the gully on Church Lane is blocked with debris.

The report has a list of 20 recommendations in total and a new strategy has also been produced by the council’s flood risk officer. The report and proposed strategy will be discuss by the county’s cabinet on Tuesday (October 14).

The report says while there is no capital funding available, there is money from the revenue budget as well as external grant opportunities.