Thousands of trees planted in Leeds to reduce flood risk and mitigate climate change 5,000 trees have been planted at the Leeds Brownlee Triathlon Centre as part of a Natural Flood Management Programme being delivered as part of phase two of the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme. From: Tree planting at Leeds Brownlee Triathlon Centre The scheme aims to reduce flood risk to 1,048 homes, 474 businesses and key infrastructure along a 14km stretch of the River Aire upstream of Leeds train station. The project is a collaboration between the Environment Agency, Leeds City Council, the University of Leeds and the River Stewardship Company and aims to store and slow the flow of flood water after heavy rain, create new habitats and store carbon, making Leeds more resilient to climate change.