Management of willowbank at allotments

The willowbank planted by my brother and I had grown to a height of more than 20 foot this year. It was planted to protect the allotments from erosion during flooding events by reducing the speed of flow of flood water and binding the soil. For the last week we have been cutting it back to a manageable height to encourage lower growth and harvesting the larger branches to be used as bean poles next year. All that’s needed now is some tidying up and using some of the smaller branches to plant further areas to the north of the present willowbank where the flow of flood water is still a problem in terms of errrosion of both the allotments and the Centenary Walk at the die of the river