The Environment Secretary has announced a new competition to find the best natural flood defences for rural homes and businesses.

Successful applicants to the competition will receive a share of the £1 million funding available, which will be used to build flood defence projects.

This Government funded competition is the first of its kind and will be open to innovative projects that plan to use landscape features such as ponds, banks, meanders, channels and trees to store, drain or slow flood water.

Natural flood management projects already form an important part of the Government’s flood strategy and funding these builds on £14m already committed to similar schemes across the country.

The Environment Secretary announced the competition in Leicester, where a natural flood management scheme is already successfully in place reconnecting the floodplain with the river.

So far the scheme has reduced the flood risk to 1,200 properties, and has transformed public spaces along the river with improved seating areas and cycle paths for the local community to enjoy.

A total of 100 trees and 7,000 shrubs have been planted and wildlife such as grey heron and little egret are now regularly seen around the area.

Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom said: “I am delighted to offer more support for local communities looking to employ natural flood management measures to better protect their homes and businesses.

“We now carefully look at flood risk across an entire catchment area from a river’s source to the sea – to make sure we have in place the best tailored mix of natural as well as concrete, engineered defences to better protect communities.”

Emma Howard Boyd, Environment Agency chair, said: “At places such as Leicester, Morpeth, and Medmerry, the Environment Agency has already shown that natural flood management can reduce flood risk alongside traditional flood defences and property resilience.

“There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to natural flood management.

“It’s about using a range of measures, from creating ponds and woody dams to redirecting river channels, that work together to reduce flood risk. This competition is a great way to explore the different ways these approaches can benefit communities and the environment.