The Pix Brook in Stotfold is to be the subject of a year-long £60,000 study looking into the problem of flooding and how the risk can be reduced.

Central Beds Council’s flood risk management team is to lead on the project, set to start early this year, which will also look into drainage capacity in Letchworth after the garden city was hit by flooding last year.

The funding comes from a partnership of flood risk authorities – Bedford Group of Internal Drainage Boards, the Environment Agency Regional Flood and Coastal Committee and Herts County Council.

Councillor Brian Spurr, the council’s executive member for community services, said: “This funding is a significant sum which will enable an extensive review into the flooding issues that have unfortunately affected some residents in Stotfold and Letchworth on numerous occasions.

“Covering a wide area, the study will be a complex piece of work, which will need careful assessment as we consider the options for several locations and their impacts. Ultimately, the aim is to identify opportunities to reduce the amount of water moving through the catchment and to slow the flow.”

The study will look into where alleviation measures can reduce flood risk, such as increasing storage capacity and improving bridges where they act as pinch points along the brook. Any changes will be evaluated to avoid making flooding worse in other places.

Better ways of managing the flood risk in the short and long term will be identifed, and environmental opportunities will be considered.