ABPmer helps develop new coastal restoration project

At Southmoor, the seawalls are in a very poor condition and will continue to be put under pressure in the future as a result of continuing sea level rise. The Environment Agency has therefore proposed this initiative to provide sustainable flood and coastal erosion protection while simultaneously creating new coastal habitats. The new wetland habitats will help to replace losses of mudflats and marshes that are occurring across the rest of the Solent.

ABPmer, Capita AECOM and the Environment Agency are working together to: develop the scheme design, consult with the community, carry out the necessary impact assessments and secure the required permissions and consents.

Colin Scott, Habitat Creation specialist at ABPmer said, “We are delighted to be helping the Environment Agency deliver this scheme. ABPmer has been at the forefront of the functional design and delivery of a number of coastal habitat creation schemes around the UK. Most recently, these include the Environment Agency’s Medmerry managed realignment in West Sussex – Europe’s largest open coast managed realignment project.

“To deliver this project with Capita AECOM, we will be drawing upon our combined and detailed experience of managed realignment projects. This will include making best use of our existing tools such as our detailed, calibrated hydrodynamic model of the Solent region along with other tried and tested techniques.”

ABPmer has worked with Capita AECOM many times across a wide range of coastal restoration and marine planning projects including the design and implementation of the 165ha Wallasea Jubilee Marsh project for RSPB and Crossrail.

The project team expects to seek approval from the Planning Authority (Havant Borough Council) and the Environment Agency’s own National Project Assurance Service by the end of 2017.