Residents
in Fishlake have given their opinion at
a community drop in session on a proposed
pilot scheme that is due to start next month
for the area next to River Don.
More than 150 people
attended an event organised by the Environment
Agency for residents to hear about a habitat
project planned next to the River Don at
Fishlake, Doncaster.
The drop-in session,
held at Fishlake Village Hall last week,
gave residents an opportunity to learn more
about the project, which will create 80
hectares of wetland habitat on Environment
Agency land. Environment Agency staff also
wanted to gain people’s views and local
knowledge of the area and how it can be
improved for the benefit of wildlife and
the local community.
Staff were able to tell
residents about a pilot scheme to create
new drainage ditches and channels in front
of the existing floodbank at Fishlake, which
will let water in at high tide to create
wetland areas. This type of improved habitat
will attract species such as otters, watervoles,
fish and wetland birds.
Anthony Myatt, project
manager at the Environment Agency said:
“We own the stretch of land at Fishlake
and had been considering some improvement
works for a while. The low-lying nature
of the land makes it ideal for wetland habitat.
“Water quality on the
River Don has improved vastly over the years
and we are already seeing the return of
species such as otter and even salmon to
rivers. This further work will encourage
even more species and enhance the area,
which can be used by the local community
for walking, fishing or bird watching.”
Overall, the majority
of residents were supportive of the plans
for Fishlake, and were pleased to see that
the area could be improved for wildlife
and the local community.
They gave ideas on the
type of facilities that could be added,
including better footpaths, information
boards and fishing areas.
Residents also were
interested to hear about the flood defence
improvements at nearby Stainforth and wanted
to know if the habitat project at Fishlake
would have any impact on flood risk.
“The habitat work is
taking place in front of the existing flood
bank so will not impact on the flood risk
for the village. We are only working on
the existing floodplain, to improve the
quality of land,” said Anthony.
The pilot project will
start this month, with the full project
commencing in June 2009. Another drop-in
session for residents is planned before
the full project begins.
If anyone would like
to be kept updated about the project or
would like to comment please email fishlake.info@environment-agency.gov.uk
+ More
Environment Agency complete
Rising Brook repairs
Next week Environment
Agency staff will be putting the finishing
touches to a repair scheme on the Rising
Brook in Stafford, which began in late January
09. The scheme is designed to restore the
capacity of the channel through the Rising
Brook area.
Next week Environment
Agency staff will be putting the finishing
touches to a repair scheme on the Rising
Brook in Stafford, which began in late January
09. The scheme is designed to restore the
capacity of the channel through the Rising
Brook area.
The works have included
repairs to a number of existing river channel
units, which have collapsed over time. The
section upstream of the river footbridge
in the playing field area has been restricting
flows due to the collapsed units. In this
section 30 metres of new concrete units
have been installed.
Andrew Mandle, Project
Manager for the Rising Brook Scheme said:
“We are really pleased with the progress
of this project. This work will reduce flooding
due to blockages and flow restrictions and
make it easier for us to maintain the channel
in the future.”
The main purpose of
the works was to reduce the obstructions
in the channel and help prevent debris from
accumulating during a flood. This will reduce
flood risk and the new works will also help
to protect the channel from further erosion
damage.
Historically, July 2003
saw one of the most significant flood events
in recent history for the Rising Brook,
affecting properties on Sherwood Avenue
and Richmond Close. The flooding was triggered
by torrential storms and was made worse
by vegetation and the poor condition of
the collapsed units. The condition of the
units was progressively getting worse over
time and with each passing high water event.
Since 2003, the Environment
Agency now carries out annual weed cutting
and silt removal to keep the channel clear.
The Agency has also created a wider flood
channel on the right bank through part of
the allotment gardens and erected a gravel
board fence on the left bank to give residents
added flood protection.
+ More
Environment Agency unveils
11 million GBP flood defence scheme
MPs Norman Lamb and
Tony Wright will unveil plaque to celebrate
completion of scheme to limit flood risk
to the Broads
What: Completion of
£11 million flood defence scheme
Where: Waxham Great Barn, Waxham, Norfolk
When: Friday 6 March 2009 from 0945 hrs
Who: Environment Agency, Norman Lamb MP
for North Norfolk,
Tony Wright MP for Gt. Yarmouth and others
To celebrate the successful
completion of an £11 million scheme
to limit flood risk to the Broads, a commemorative
plaque will be unveiled by local MPs Norman
Lamb and Tony Wright near Waxham on Friday
6 March.
The scheme will help
protect around 500 houses and 3600 hectares
of land, including 1256 hectares of designated
Broadland habitat.
As part of the scheme,
ten timber and steel groynes have been replaced,
new rock groynes built between Horsey and
Winterton Ness Gap, rock revetments (rocks
placed to protect the seawall from wave
action) reconstructed and the beach between
Sea Palling and Poplar Farm Gap recharged
with sand to prevent failure of the sea
wall.
Dafydd Evans, Environment
Agency Eastern Area Manager said, “We have
undertaken a great deal of work on this
scheme and are committed to protecting this
length of coast for at least the next 50
years, as stated in the Shoreline Management
Plan. We have approval to spend a further
£10 million on this length of coast
over the next few years, which we hope will
reassure local people of our commitment
to the Plan.”
The Environment Agency
has responsibility for the sea defences
along a 14km length of the Norfolk coast
from Cart Gap, south of Happisburgh, to
Beach Road, Winterton. This is a dynamic
coastline with a long history of erosion
and tidal flooding, which the Environment
Agency and other partners are trying to
ensure is managed in a sustainable way into
the future for the benefit of both people
and the unique Broadland habitat.
