North Northumberland restoration Project

The North Northumberland Coast project will seek to create intertidal habitats in the north Northumberland coastal area by removing historical flood protection assets, including reconnecting tidal dependent habitat with the coastline, to enable natural ecosystems to thrive. The project aims to bring the rating of the watercourse from a 'Moderate' ecological status to a 'Good' ecological status to align with the Northumbria River Basin Management Plan 2015 (NRBMP).

The project is funded through the Environment Statutory Allowance (ESA) fund using FCERM GiA with the main objective being to deliver 'all reasonable mitigation' for the impacts of the historic sea defences

The project seeks funding to compile the Single Stage Business Case (known heron as SSBC). The aim of the scheme is to restore some of the land currently used for livestock, into more biologically productive saltmarsh habitat which will be utilised by wetland birds and juvenile fish, as a nursery area. This will contribute to improving the water body status of the various water courses in the North Northumberland Area. This will be achieved by;

• i)Removing the Beal Cast structure, allowing the channel to adopt a more naturally functioning flow regime
• ii)Breaching sections of flood bank to allow flow into existing palaeo channels within the saltmarsh allowing inundation on a twice daily basis. This improved morphology will restore the natural processes of tidal inundation which will in turn work towards improving the intertidal habitat.

Objectives

1. Deliver the programme of works as highlighted in the appendix 1 deliverables list.
2. Contribute to the Development of Single Stage Business Case (SBC) which aims to Enhance wetland habitats to meet internal EA ecological improvement targets.
3. To provide a detailed design that can be handed to our contractors for delivery.
4. Support carbon reduction through habitat-based sequestration.
5. Improve protected areas and contribute to Water Framework Directive (WFD) compliance.
6. Enhance public amenity by improving rights of way and encouraging safe environmental interaction.