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Innovation News

Innovation in techniques: Creating natural refuges for wildlife

Work in progress to create hibernacula at Northwick

Innovation in techniques: Creating natural refuges for wildlife

17 December 2021. We are creating network of natural new refuges for local wildlife as part of our work on wetlands at Northwick, all part of the minimum of 80 hectares (the equivalent of around 112 football pitches) of new wetland habitat along the internationally important Severn Estuary.

The new refuges at the Northwick wetlands are made from grass, mud and other natural materials. Also known as hibernacula, they make a warm, moist and safe habitat for Great Crested Newts, other amphibians, reptiles and insects. Hibernacula also act as a well-stocked larder, with earthworms, slugs and spiders on offer, and provide protection from predators too.

During winter, the hibernaculum offers a safe place for reptiles and amphibians to hibernate. This is particularly important for Great Crested Newts who are largely inactive in winter.

Hibernacula are useful at many other times of year too. They offer shelter for breeding and from hot weather. The network at Northwick will give animals safe passage from the refuges to other areas. The hibernacula are an important part of our work to create and provide locations for wildlife to thrive. You can find out more about the project’s ecological mitigation work here. 

Work in progress to create hibernacula at Northwick

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News

Update: Significant successes for West of England flood defence and ecology project in 2021

Concrete finishing to installed precast concrete flood defence units

Update: Significant successes for West of England flood defence and ecology project in 2021

16 December 2021. The Avonmouth and Severnside Enterprise Area (ASEA) Ecological Mitigation and Flood Defence Project has achieved significant successes this year, including the completion of the main phase of construction of a minimum of 80ha of new wetlands.

When complete, the project will provide 17km of flood defences to reduce flood risk to 2,500 homes and businesses and help to unlock 12,000 new jobs for the West of England. Watch our new video on our progress, above.

Wetland construction: creating a wildlife haven

A major milestone has been met with the completion of the main phase of construction work at Hallen Marsh and Northwick wetlands. Scrapes (small ponds), flow control structures and ditch crossings, and new embankments have all been constructed. Work has also included creating natural refuges, or hibernacula, for local wildlife such as Great Crested Newts, other amphibians, reptiles and insects.

Cllr Nicola Beech, Bristol City Council Cabinet Member for Climate, Ecology, Waste and Energy, said: “These two new wetlands, one of which is in the Bristol area, are fantastic news and will play a major role in achieving our climate and environmental goals, as well as making our city a healthier place to live.”

New flood defences

Over 2021, there has been significant progress on installing new flood defences throughout the project area. The project reached a key milestone over the summer with the installation of approximately one kilometre of precast concrete flood defence wall units in the Severn Beach area.

To the north of the project area at Aust Wharf Road, we have completed sections of the new flood defence wall, with built-in habitat shelves for plants, part of the commitment to enhance wildlife where possible during the project.

Emma Baker, Environment Agency Director Wessex, said: “Climate change is already happening, it’s happening now. Climate change will mean wetter winters, drier summers, greater intensity of rain and therefore greater flood risk. Large parts of Avonmouth and Severnside are already at risk of flooding so we need this scheme to protect the area now and for future generations.”

Cllr Toby Savage, South Gloucestershire Council Leader and Cabinet Member with responsibility for Climate Change, said: “We need to act now to ensure we are resilient against the effects of climate change. The newly constructed flood defences will help encourage businesses to invest in the area and are expected to unlock 12,000 new jobs by 2026. This will deliver a significant boost for our regional and national economy and thousands of homes and businesses in our area will be better protected against the risk of flooding.”

What’s next: 2022

  • Following the completion of much of the construction work, we will carry out landscaping of the new wetland areas at Northwick and Hallen Marsh in Spring 2022.
  • Work at Lamplighter’s Marsh and the Avonmouth Docks will start in earnest in early 2022, with new flood defence walls, outfall structures and embankments constructed. This is the project’s longest stretch of flood defence.
  • The completion of a new flood defence low-level wall incorporating a glass panel at New Passage. This will have two purposes, firstly it will play an important role in reducing the risk of flooding for homes in the area. Secondly, this form of flood defence will preserve the stunning views of the Severn Estuary for residents and people walking along Severn Way.
  • The flood defences at Aust Wharf Road will progress towards completion in Spring 2022, with the installation of new flood gates to complement the new retaining wall that has been built this year. These measures, when installed, will provide much-needed reassurance to residents in the event of flooding.

Richard Bonner, West of England Local Enterprise Partnership Chair, said: “To see so much visible progress being made, with flood defences being built and work taking place all along the coastline, is fantastic. The project is on schedule and going from strength to strength. I’m excited to see what 2022 will bring.

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Innovation News

Innovation in techniques: A new flood defence wall with special features- stone render-effect finish and built-in habitats for plants

Innovation in techniques: New flood defence wall with special features - stone render-effect finish and built-in habitats

22 November 2021. A section of our recently completed flood defence wall at Aust Wharf Road has some special and unusual features. 

The section is part of a stretch of reinforced concrete wall at the most northern part of our project. It has a stone render-effect finish on one side and, on the other, facing onto the Severn Estuary, built-in habitat shelves for plants. The shelves are made from oak. Natural materials make a better and more sustainable habitat for many reasons. They suit small amounts of natural planting which flourishes; invertebrates prefer them; and they are also renewable, durable and strong. 

The stone render-effect finish was a design response to comments from local residents, as well as South Gloucestershire Council’s technical officers, and the requirements of the planning application. The location of the wall is a rural area, overlooked by homes. Officers and neighbours wanted a structure that fitted with these surroundings. 

In response, we devised a design for a stone render-effect finish that would look natural. We then sent this to a form liner manufacturer. Form liners are the liners, or moulds, used in the preparation of designs of concrete walls. As they are available in many different shapes, the manufacturer was able to recreate our design. The resulting finish has a stone and masonry texture with a horizontally running pattern of ‘rocks’ of different sizes. 

The render-effect finish also has considerable environmental benefits. It has meant we have avoided importing stone material, reducing CO2 emissions in the construction process. The finish makes the wall much easier to maintain compared to stone which would have needed repairing over its lifetime. 

As we pride ourselves on being good neighbours, we are delighted that the design fits well with its surroundings, offers a habitat for plants, and is environmentally friendly.

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News

Local resident discusses flood defence benefits for Severn Beach

Severn Beach North flood defence wall – September 2021

Local resident discusses flood defence benefits for Severn Beach

18 November 2021. John Miller, owner of Salthouse Farm Park retirement community, has lived and worked in the Severn Beach area for over 60 years. Here he talks about how the new ASEA project flood defences at Severn Beach, which are nearing completion, will secure the community’s future.

My business, Salthouse Farm Park retirement community, is an eight-acre private residential estate for retired and semi-retired people aged 50+. We are located on the edge of Severn Beach and have 57 park homes on-site. Originally a dairy farm and holiday site, the park as it is now, was completed in 2006. The park has since grown into a friendly and neighbourly community.

Since I’ve lived here, the risk of flooding has been managed with the building of flood defences. Now, with the possibility of rising sea levels over the coming decades, these new flood defences will lower the risk of flooding.

The new flood defences are great news because they offer protection for the estate in the long-term as climate change and rising sea levels increase the risk of flooding. The main benefit for us is the extra flood security that we’ll have, knowing that flooding is something we’ll need to worry about less in the years ahead.

We are very lucky that the Severn Way runs through Severn Beach. It has always been a pleasant stretch on which to take a stroll or ride a bike. The most important thing for me is the knowledge that its views onto to the Severn Estuary are not being spoilt by the new flood defences, which is really good to know.

The flood defence scheme will really help ensure the village’s survival.

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Innovation News

Innovation: Precast Flood Defence Units

Concrete finishing to installed precast concrete flood defence units

Innovation: Precast Flood Defence Units

18 October 2021. We are using precast concrete units to form the new flood barriers in several areas, including around Severn Beach. Thames Valley Construction produces and builds these units off-site in Newport, Wales. They are then transported directly to site and lowered into position. 

This method minimizes disruption for local residents and the environment, compared with pouring the concrete directly on site. Its benefits include:  

  • Quicker construction, all pre-cast were constructed on site and were ready ahead of the programmed installation date. On average we can install 26 pre-cast units per day. This is a significant time saving compared with cast in-situ where we would have only been able to install 8 to 10 units a week.
  • Long and variable alignment: 374 identical pre-cast units were installed (south of Severn Beach,) each 2.3m in length with only 3 in situ stiches required over the entire length of 860.2m
  • Fewer staff needed on-site
  • Safer
  • Reduction in traffic movements to and from site
  • Less noise and ground vibration.
  • A higher standard of quality control, in particular the surface finish of the pre-cast units.

We expect to install a total of around two kilometres of precast concrete units by the time we complete the works.

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News Why ASEA

Leader of South Gloucestershire Council: Why flood defences are so vital for our local communities

Leader of South Gloucestershire Council: Why flood defences are so vital for our local communities

18 October 2021. Councillor Toby Savage, South Gloucestershire Council Leader and Cabinet Member with responsibility for Climate Change, looks at the impact of flooding on local communities and the vital flood defence work being carried out to protect them.

According to the Association of British Insurers, flooding is the greatest natural disaster risk in the UK, with an estimated one in six properties in England and Wales now at risk of flooding. On top of that, Met Office data shows six of the ten wettest years on record have occurred since 1998.

Flooding can cause widespread disruption and have a devastating impact on people’s lives, their homes and businesses. There are few places more suited to considering the impact of climate change on real communities and businesses because of rising sea levels than the Severn Estuary.

The work being carried out as part of the Avonmouth and Severnside Enterprise Area (ASEA) Ecological Mitigation and Flood Defence project means thousands of homes and businesses in the area will be better protected. The project will provide 17km of improved flood defences, reducing flood risk to around 2,500 homes and businesses. The defences will supplement existing flood barriers and help protect the area from the increased risk of flooding from climate change and rising sea levels.

A recent report, by The Association of British Insurers and Flood Re (Flood Re are a joint initiative between the Government and insurers), reported that river flood defences provide protection to flood risk communities valued at savings of £568 million a year. The research suggests that without defences, losses could amount to approximately £958 million a year, whereas with defences that figure reduces to £388 million a year.

The newly constructed flood defences, stretching between Aust in South Gloucestershire and Lamplighter’s Marsh in Bristol, will help encourage businesses to invest in the area and are expected to unlock 12,000 new jobs by 2026. This will deliver a significant boost for our regional and national economy.

A key milestone achieved this summer was the installation of precast concrete flood defence wall units in the Severn Beach area. To the north of Severn Beach, this is largely complete. Together with the work south of Severn Beach, approximately a kilometre of flood defence wall has been put in place. The walls consist of 428 units, all of which were precast offsite, meaning they were put in quickly and with the minimum of disruption to the local community.

Once the whole ASEA project is completed in 2026/2027, thousands of homes and businesses in our area will be better protected against the risk of flooding. I look forward to seeing the project continue to progress over the next few years, reducing the flood risk posed by climate change and rising sea levels.

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News

Helping Spruce Up the Severn: Litter Pick

Helping Spruce Up the Severn: Litter Pick

Members of our project team were delighted to take part in a community litter pick on 24th September at Severn Beach in South Gloucestershire. Thirty five people, including Pilning & Severn Beach Parish Council chairman Alderman Peter Tyzack, litter picked as part of the Great British Beach Clean 2021 Week, and Spruce Up the Severn initiatives.

The Severn Beach area will benefit from new flood defences as part of the ASEA project. New flood defence walls to the north of Severn Beach are now largely complete. There has been significant progress too on the installation of new flood defence walls to the south.​  

Overall, the project will provide 17km of improved flood defences when complete in 2026/2027, from Lamplighters Marsh in the south to Aust in the north, reducing flood risk to around 2,500 homes and businesses. The defences will supplement existing flood barriers and help protect the area from the increased risk of flooding from climate change and rising sea levels.

The project will also create a minimum of 80ha, the equivalent of 112 football pitches, of new wetland habitats to support the internationally important Severn Estuary’s bird species, and improve walking routes.

The project is a partnership between South Gloucestershire Council, Bristol City Council and the Environment Agency.

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News Why ASEA

Chair of West of England LEP: Why flood defence project is so important for economy

Chair of West of England LEP: Why flood defence project is so important for economy

As the economy opens up again, Richard Bonner, Chair of the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership, discusses the long-term plans to protect the Avonmouth Severnside Enterprise Area from flooding and why this work is so important to the regional economy’

The £80 million Avonmouth Severnside Enterprise Area (ASEA) Ecology Mitigation and Flood Defence Project is the biggest flood defence project and ecology project in the West of England’s history.

Work is now well underway on a package of flood defence measures along 17km of coastline – from Lamplighters Marsh in the south to Aust in the north – to reduce flood risk to 2,500 homes and businesses. This work will help to unlock up to 12,000 new jobs in the West of England by 2026 -2027.

This project creates great impetus for economic development in our region. It’s a huge boost – without it the Enterprise Area cannot come forward.

I recently had the opportunity to visit the works with other partners and seeing the brilliant progress being made is impressive. We’re really pleased to see so much being delivered.

With funding of £63m from the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership, administered by the West of England Combined Authority, we’re supporting the partnership work of South Gloucestershire Council, Bristol City Council and the Environment Agency. Other funding sources are the Government’s Flood Defence Grant in Aid, and Local Levy raised by the Wessex Regional Flood and Coastal Committee.

These new flood defences will supplement existing flood barriers and help protect the area from the increased risk of flooding caused by climate change and rising sea levels. The defences will ensure the reduction of flood risk for at least 60 years – something which our region’s business and political leaders are confident will lead to even more significant investment in the Enterprise Area. The West of England’s recovery plan has a focus on a green recovery with sustainable opportunities for all. We’re working hard to provide businesses with the confidence that their plans for new jobs and investment will not be dampened by flooding concerns.

Situated near the M5 and M49 motorways, the Enterprise Area is a prime location for business – it’s perfectly-placed as an economic gateway between England and Wales, as well as between the Midlands and the South West.

From an ecological perspective, the project will improve flood defences and enhance the natural environment on the internationally important Severn Estuary– creating at least 80 hectares of coastal wetland habitats for bird species. It will also improve walking routes, making it easier for everyone to enjoy nature and the spectacular views of the Severn Estuary. This will be a huge boost for people’s physical and mental health.

We’ve already seen a great advance towards making the Enterprise Area a reality. I look forward to witnessing the forthcoming developments, with even more flood defence work and innovative technology in the pipeline. This will help us deliver the reassurances to businesses that the West of England is the premier location for their investment.

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News

What a hoot! Baby owls discovered at Hallen Marsh

What a hoot! Baby owls discovered at Hallen Marsh

News release 27 July 2021. Ecologists working on the Avonmouth and Severnside Enterprise Area (ASEA) Ecological Mitigation and Flood Defence project are thrilled to have discovered three new barn owl chicks at Hallen Marsh, north of Bristol. Lead ecologist Kath Thorne and ornithologist Ed Drewitt found the feathery trio last week, nesting in one of two boxes they had installed.

Work at Hallen Marsh is part of the project’s creation of a minimum of 80 hectares (the equivalent of around 112 football pitches) of new wetland habitats for the internationally important Severn Estuary’s bird species

Kath said: “We installed the owl boxes away from our new wetlands working area in disused buildings and a nearby tree so they could nest without being disturbed. We are all so pleased and excited that the owls have successfully raised these three chicks.“

Kath and Ed have since ringed, weighed and determined the age of the chicks. They will send the records to the British Trust for Ornithology

Along with the new wetlands, the £80m ASEA Ecological Mitigation and Flood Defence project will provide 17km of improved flood defences when complete in 2026/2027, from Lamplighters Marsh in the south to Aust in the north. The defences will supplement existing flood barriers and help protect the area from the increased risk of flooding from climate change and rising sea levels, reducing flood risk to around 2,500 homes and businesses.

The project will boost the regional and national economy by enabling development within the 1,800 hectare Avonmouth and Severnside Enterprise Area, helping to unlock 12,000 new jobs by 2026.

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News Why ASEA

Major Flood Defence Project Progress Impresses West of England Leaders

Major Flood Defence Project Progress Impresses West of England Leaders

Leaders from across the West of England this week saw first-hand the significant progress being made on the Avonmouth and Severnside Enterprise Area (ASEA) Ecological Mitigation and Flood Defence project, including extensive new flood defence walls at Severn Beach.

Leader of South Gloucestershire Council and Cabinet Member with responsibility for Climate Change, Councillor Toby Savage; Councillor Nicola Beech, Cabinet Member for Climate, Ecology, Waste and Energy at Bristol City Council; Emma Baker, Area Director Wessex, Environment Agency; and Richard Bonner, Chair of the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership, visited the project at several sites.

The tour included a site to the south of Severn Beach. Approximately a kilometre of concrete flood defence wall has been placed here and to the north of Severn Beach. The walls consist of 428 units, all of which were precast offsite, meaning they were put in quickly and with the minimum of disruption.

The largest of its kind in the region, the project will provide 17km of improved flood defences when complete in 2026/2027, from Lamplighters Marsh in the south to Aust in the north, reducing flood risk to around 2,500 homes and businesses. The defences will supplement existing flood barriers and help protect the area from the increased risk of flooding from climate change and rising sea levels.

The project will also create a minimum of 80ha, the equivalent of 112 football pitches, of new wetland habitats to protect internationally important bird species, and improve walking routes.
The £80m project will boost the regional and national economy by enabling development within the Avonmouth and Severnside Enterprise Area, helping unlock 12,000 new jobs by 2026. The project is a partnership between South Gloucestershire Council, Bristol City Council and the Environment Agency.

Cllr Toby Savage said: “We’ve come together with Bristol City Council and the Environment Agency on this project to protect people’s homes and businesses from flooding. The project will also boost and restore natural environments and help people enjoy spectacular views of the Severn Estuary.”

Cllr Nicola Beech said: “It is fantastic to see the scale of the project. These defences will protect thousands of homes and make our city more resilient to climate change. Importantly, it will also provide a huge boost to nature and wildlife by creating 80ha of new wetland habitats to protect internationally important bird species in the Severn Estuary and planting hundreds of native trees that will improve the environment for many years to come.“

So far, other achievements for the project, which started work on site last summer, include:
• Flood defence wall works at Passage Road, Aust: trial embankment complete
• New wetland habitat at Northwick – nearly three-quarters of the work complete
• Progress on improvements at Cake Pill and Chestle Pill to raise the outfall structures.

Emma Baker said: “Climate change is already happening, bringing greater flood risk to large parts of Avonmouth and Severnside. This project will protect not only present but future generations and it’s really exciting to see such progress. The Severn Estuary is internationally important for its habitats for birds and over 80 hectares of wetlands will provide safe roosts for the over wintering birds during high tides on the estuary.”

Funding has come from the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership, administered by the West of England Combined Authority. Other funding sources are the Government’s Flood Defence Grant in Aid, and Local Levy raised by the Wessex Regional Flood and Coastal Committee.

Richard Bonner said: “This project creates great impetus for economic development in the region. It’s a huge boost – without it the enterprise area cannot come forward. Having the opportunity to visit the works with other partners and see the brilliant progress made is impressive. We’re really pleased to see so much being delivered.”

ENDS
ACCOMPANYING IMAGE: CAPTION (From left to right): Richard Bonner, Chair of the West of England LEP; Emma Baker, Area Director Wessex, Environment Agency; Councillor Nicola Beech, Cabinet Member for Climate, Ecology, Waste and Energy at Bristol City Council; and Councillor Toby Savage, Leader of South Gloucestershire Council, visit the Avonmouth and Severnside Enterprise Area (ASEA) Ecological Mitigation and Flood Defence project site south of Severn Beach.
Media enquiries: Contact the communications team at South Gloucestershire Council on: Telephone: 01454 863200. Email: strategiccommunications@southglos.gov.uk
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