Flood Alleviation Scheme

Creating over 8 hectares of new national Bio-diversity Action Plan habitat within a Site of Specialist Scientific Interest has been just one of the challenges facing us on this project than spans 27km of the River Trent. Other habitat creation has included wildflower meadows, scrub banks, native hedgerows right down to butterfly bushes in private gardens.

River Trent

Local fishermen and wildlife enthusiast have welcomed these habitat and access improvements to a local land-locked pond that included linking it back to the River Trent for the benefit of local fish stocks. A string of other works included footpath creation, dipping platforms, marginal planting and interpretation. The use of recycled plastic decking boards help met the Environment Agency’s sustainability targets.

Nature Reserve

By robbing ‘Peter to pay Paul’ we were able to create scarce fluvial reed beds in the River Trent and diversify habitats by shallowing a former ash settlement lagoon. 25,000 Cu.m of material was excavated from the banks of the River Trent at Branston and placed in the nearby Drakelow Nature Reserve deepwater lagoons to raise their level. Upwards of 2 hectares of reed bed was created through this process.

Design Guide

Launched in early 2010 the Fluvial Design Guide 2 or FDG for short is a professional guide funded by Defra aimed at improving the design of riverworks. Our practice principal Stuart Ryder wrote Chapter 5 of this respected publication addressing matters of landscape and heritage in the fluvial environment.

Flood Alleviation Scheme

The Northumbrian town of Morpeth was devastated by floods in September 2008. Working with Halcrow and Black & Veatch (UK) Ltd Ryder Landscape Consultants were already addressing matters of habitat creation and mitigation associated with an upstream dam and temporary flood storage area. The floods have given this work even greater impetus.

Water Treatment Works

Working in the heart of the Brecon Beacons National Park there were twin drivers of creating valuable river wood and scrub around a large water treatment works extension whilst at the same time trying to screen it from view as quickly as possible.

Flood Alleviation Scheme

A large flood storage area is proposed to help protect Banbury from flooding from the River Cherwell. The works extending for 3km could have a dramatic effect on the local pastoral landscape of this clay river valley. Habitat mitigation include scrapes, river diversions, ox-bow lakes, hedgerow reinstatement, wildflower meadow and native woodland whilst promoting public access improvements.

Sewage Treatment Works

3-D Terrain modelling software allowed us to design the form of a compensatory flood storage area for a large extension to this treatment works near Stoke. The 50,000 Cu.m area had to be cut into an existing sloping field with woodland, native hedges and scrub areas reformed on completion.

Coastal Retreat

The creation of 45 hectares of saltmarsh is proposed to offset coastal squeeze of this precious habitat in the Humber Estuary. This involves the purchase of arable farmland, setting back coastal defences and deliberately breaching the old, outer defences. The nearby RAF bombing range, pupping seals and numerous protected species made this project particularly challenging.

Guides

Thankfully referred to as the L.E.D.G. for short our practice director Stuart Ryder was the principal author of this guide that influences the work the Environment Agency conducts throughout England and Wales. It processes and guides are also used by the Environment Agency when instructing work from others.