Case study:Sutcliffe Park

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Location: 51° 27' 17.73" N, 0° 1' 48.29" E

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Project overview

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Status	Complete
Project web site
Themes	Flood risk management, Habitat and biodiversity
Country	England
Main contact forename	Toni
Main contact surname	Scarr
Main contact user ID	User:Ascarr
Contact organisation	Environment Agency
Contact organisation web site	http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk
Partner organisations	Quaggy Waterways Action Group
Parent multi-site project	Case_study:Quaggy Flood Alleviation Scheme
This is a parent project encompassing the following projects	No

Lake at Sutcliffe Park

Project summary

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Before the restoration project, the Quaggy at Sutcliffe Park was a forgotten river. It flowed underground through a concrete channel, unnoticed and providing little habitat for wildlife.

By bringing the Quaggy out of its culvert, a meandering river has been reborn. Now, the river can overflow into the park using it as a flood storage area.

And at other times, the park is there for local communities to enjoy. A network of pathways and viewing points criss-cross the park. Within the wetland areas, there are wooden boardwalks making the area more accessible for prams and wheelchairs. It is a habitat for a huge variety of plants and animals, and features wildflower meadows, wetland areas, reed beds, lakes and ponds.

The river is now a place where wildlife can thrive - from emperor dragonflies and wetland birds, to amphibians and butterflies. Several protected species have now made it their home, including the reed warbler and little grebe. The park has quickly become an important area of natural beauty and a recreational site for the local community.

It’s making a major contribution to the quality of life for local residents. Natural environments encourage regular physical activity, reduce the risk of serious diseases and improve mental well-being.

Surveys have shown that park visits have increased significantly. And people who used the park before, are now staying longer. One in four only started visiting the park after the improvements.

Monitoring surveys and results

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Lessons learnt

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Catchment and subcatchment

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Site

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Name	Sutcliffe Park
WFD water body codes	GB106039023290
WFD (national) typology	Calcareous
WFD water body name	Quaggy
Pre-project morphology	Closed culvert
Reference morphology
Desired post project morphology
Heavily modified water body	Yes
National/international site designation
Local/regional site designations
Protected species present	No
Invasive species present	No
Species of interest	Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera )
Dominant hydrology
Dominant substrate
River corridor land use	Urban
Average bankfull channel width category
Average bankfull channel width (m)
Average bankfull channel depth category
Average bankfull channel depth (m)
Mean discharge category
Mean annual discharge (m3/s)
Average channel gradient category
Average channel gradient
Average unit stream power (W/m2)

Project background

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Reach length directly affected (m)	16001,600 m <br />1.6 km <br />160,000 cm <br />
Project started	1989/01/02
Works started	2003/04/01
Works completed	2004/06/01
Project completed
Total cost category	1000 - 5000 k€
Total cost (k€)	36003,600 k€ <br />3,600,000 € <br />
Benefit to cost ratio
Funding sources	Environment Agency

Cost for project phases

Phase	cost category	cost exact (k€)	Lead organisation	Contact forename	Contact surname
Investigation and design
Stakeholder engagement and communication
Works and works supervision
Post-project management and maintenance
Monitoring

Reasons for river restoration

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Mitigation of a pressure	Flood risk management
Hydromorphology	Channel pattern/planform
Biology	Fish, Invertebrates, Macrophytes
Physico-chemical
Other reasons for the project	Community demand

Measures

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Structural measures
Bank/bed modifications	Planting of native species, meadering channel
Floodplain / River corridor	Creation of ponds, creation of a lake, wildflower meadows
Planform / Channel pattern	creation of new channel, deculverting
Other	boardwalks, paths, seating areas and viewing points
Non-structural measures
Management interventions
Social measures (incl. engagement)
Other	community engagement

Monitoring

Hydromorphological quality elements

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quality elements

Element	When monitored		Type of monitoring		Control site used	Result
	Before measures	After measures	Qualitative	Quantitative
Channel pattern/planform	Yes	Yes	No	No	No

Biological quality elements

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quality elements

Element	When monitored		Type of monitoring		Control site used	Result
	Before measures	After measures	Qualitative	Quantitative
Fish	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
Invertebrates	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
Macrophytes	Yes	No	No	No	No

Physico-chemical quality elements

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quality elements

Element	When monitored		Type of monitoring		Control site used	Result
	Before measures	After measures	Qualitative	Quantitative
Nutrient concentrations	Yes	Yes	No	No	No

Any other monitoring, e.g. social, economic

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Element	When monitored		Type of monitoring		Control site used	Result
	Before measures	After measures	Qualitative	Quantitative
stakeholder liaison	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
health benefits	No	Yes	No	No	No	Improvement
economic benefits	No	Yes	No	No	No	Inconclusive
River Corridor Survey	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Bat Survey	Yes	No	No	No	No
Mammel survey	Yes	No	No	No	No
birds	Yes	No	No	No	No

Monitoring documents

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Surveys undertaken

MSc on community involvement

Health benefits

health study

Image gallery

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Sutcliffe Park Flood defence aspects

Sutcliffe park before

Sutcliffe park after

Additional documents and videos

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stage 1

Additional links and references

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Link	Description
http://www.therrc.co.uk/rrc case studies1.php?csid=46	River Restoration Centre Case Study

Supplementary Information

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construction The works were designed to alleviate flooding in the Lewisham area. The flood detention area was constructed on the Quaggy River. The location of the detention area is approximately 3km east of Lewisham, in the London Borough of Greenwich, in Sutcliffe Park, formerly eight football pitches. The construction includes a 2.5m high x 480m long earth embankment, which surrounds Sutcliffe Park. The embankment is 2.5m high at its highest point to the west side of the site and at existing ground level to the east. The embankment retains floodwaters within the reservoir basin that has been excavated. The culvert carrying the river follows two sides of the park and is to remain. The low flow inlet control structure was formed through cutting slots into the side of the culvert and a reinforced concrete channel to direct the flow into the park. A few metres downstream of the low flow inlet is a 0.5m high weir to direct the majority of the flow through the park.

The high flow inlet also has slots cut into the side of the culvert and a concrete slab in front to prevent erosion. Just downstream of the high flow inlet a flume has been constructed within the culvert to constrict the flow. The spillway also has slots in the side of the culvert and the landform is at a lower level to allow the water back into the culvert at this location. The outlet structure is constructed from reinforced concrete and has a plastic pipe connecting the flow from the park back into the culvert. The low flow inlet and outlet structures have penstocks within them to control the water movements.

description The plans for the river restoration programme date back as far as 1989, although the work did not commence until April 2003 and the park was re-opened in June 2004. Prior to the restoration work, Sutcliffe Park was described as a flat area of open greenspace with a lack of biodiversity, with the mown grassland primarily used for sporting activities. It consisted of 11 football pitches and an athletics track, with only the track remaining since the enhancements. It is about 1.6 km in circumference with numerous entrances and exits. Since the 1930s the River Quaggy has ran underground along a concrete channel, referred to as a “culvert”, around two sides of the park.

The park has now been re-landscaped to create a naturalised river, which flows through the park at surface level. The culvert still exists, but now overflows into the park when it is full. The design of the park allows a controlled flood to occur which covers the lower lying sections of the park, where the river feeds into the lake. An important influence of this scheme is the presence of a local action group called “The Friends of The Quaggy / QWAG”. Community participation and involvement of local residents played a key role in identifying and campaigning the viable alternative to river channelisation.

The restored park is more of a wetland environment as it provides a variety of habitats for local wildlife, including reed beds and a shallow lake. The park is now rich in biodiversity and users have commented on the “joy of watching nature doing its own thing”. It has a more formal feel at one end due to its wrought iron railings and traditional benches, whereas the opposing end is more natural with bridges, boardwalks and outdoor furniture. There is a circular seating area which acts as a meeting place for local residents and school children to convene. The abundance of flora and fauna allows visitors an opportunity to learn about environmental matters.

Users of Sutcliffe Park include predominantly dog walkers and joggers. It is also used by family groups to feed the ducks and as a thoroughfare to bus stops. The establishment of a “Friends of Sutcliffe Park” is currently emerging and a recommendation for the local walking group “Green chain” to include the park within their routes is being addressed.