Wallasea Managed Realignment

ABPmer supported the Biodiversity Division of the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in the process of identifying managed realignment sites that could provide necessary compensation for habitats lost following port developments in the 1990s. Following the selection of a preferred site, at Wallasea Island on the Crouch Estuary (Essex), ABPmer then provided environmental advice throughout the design and impact assessment stages of this proposal. As part of this work, we produced an integrated Environmental Statement and Appropriate Assessment Information report which were supported by the results of a series of detailed studies including: consultations, baseline habitat surveys, numerical modelling work, morphological evaluations and GIS visualisations. The scheme achieved planning consent in February 2005 and was completed in July 2006, and has resulted in the creation of 115ha of new mudflat and saltmarsh habitat plus 5ha of new mitigation habitat. ABPmer is now undertaking a 5-year ecological monitoring programme to verify the impacts predicted in the EIA and to assess the site's success in terms of delivering the compensation targets. This programme includes monitoring winter bird counts, benthic sampling, analyses of water flows; mapping of morphological changes and fixed-point photography work. For the Environment Agency, under the ComCoast project, we have also managed the installation of web cameras on the site and are responsible for maintaining the project-specific web-site - www.abpmer.net/wallasea. It is intended that this internet presence will be used to inform the ongoing stakeholder consultations and management of the Wallasea site (which, as of April 2007, the site is being undertaken by Royal Society for the Protection of Birds on behalf of DEFRA) as well as for generally conveying the messages and lessons of coastal realignment.

For further details contact:

Colin Scott

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