Case study:Soaring connections: restoring people, wildlife & place
Project overview
| Status | In progress |
|---|---|
| Project web site | |
| Themes | Economic aspects, Flood risk management, Habitat and biodiversity, Social benefits, Spatial planning, Water quality, Urban |
| Country | England |
| Main contact forename | Alex |
| Main contact surname | McDonald |
| Main contact user ID | User:Amcdonald04 |
| Contact organisation | Environment Agency |
| Contact organisation web site | |
| Partner organisations | Leicester City Council |
| This is a parent project encompassing the following projects |
Project summary
Soaring connections is the umbrella title for the Leicester FRMS and various community projects in the city focusing on the water environment. Together they form an innovative project, reducing flood risk to over 2000 properties whilst improving Green Infrastructure (GI) and reconnecting communities with their local watercourse.
The EA and LCC are working together on a 6 year programme of work to reduce the risk of flooding in the city, with a particular emphasis on bringing wider benefits through environmental enhancements, public space improvements and regeneration.
The Leicester FRM scheme has transformed under-used public open spaces in the city by improving public access, recreation opportunities and creating new habitat along the River Soar corridor. The scheme works by removing barriers to the movement of flood water and improving the capacity of the floodplain to store water.
In 2008 the use of traditional flood protection methods was investigated but found to be unviable. The decision was made to take a more innovative approach, one that would provide multiple benefits for people and wildlife as well as being a catalyst for regeneration within the city. Using the hydraulic model of the catchment constrictions in flow were identified that were causing increased flood levels in Leicester. Combining this with Leicester’s Green Infrastructure Strategy areas of underused public open space including areas of closely mown amenity grassland and sports pitches of low ecological value along the River Soar corridor were targeted.
Entering construction in 2014, Phase 1 and 2 of the scheme are now complete and focused on reconnecting the river with its floodplain through the Aylestone and Birstall areas of Leicester. This has been achieved through removing constrictions, land lowering and wetland creation. As well as reducing flood risk, the scheme has delivered significant environmental enhancements with the creation of new wetland areas, wildflower meadows, tree planting, habitat improvement, cycle path improvements and new public seating areas.
Community projects including Shared Waters and Waterside Care work across the city to deliver educational sessions and practical habitat work focused on the water environment. This ranges from retrofitting SuDs in schools to hold back and clean water to water themed yarn-bombing and a water themed play developed by Leicester college pupils. All aim to re engage the diverse population of Leicester with their watercourse, telling its story in their own words.
Works included:
- Creation of backwater to allow storage of water and act as fish refuge
- Habitat improvements including wildflower meadow creation and tree planting to improve habitat diversity within river corridor
- Change in topography through earth movement to lower areas adjacent to river and raise those further away e.g. moving sports pitches onto newly raised ground away from the river
- Change in management of public open space and newly created wetland areas to maintain greater habitat diversity
- Control of Himalayan balsam and Japanese knotweed
- Community projects including SuDs in schools & community clean ups
- Public & stakeholder engagement on design
- Community habitat management sessions on improved areas of public open space
- Sediment fingerprinting study to identify inputs into the River Soar catchment
Monitoring surveys and results
For all sites where construction work has taken place an extended phase 1 habitat survey and subsequent protected species surveys including badger, otter, bat and water vole have taken place. A large amount of badger work had to be done including closing a number of setts under license. On-going monitoring took place during and after the construction works. A mitigation sett was created and is well used with new foraging routes and evidence of bedding being changed.
All of the new planting works are subject to a 5 year monitoring and maintenance program to ensure establishment. The areas are vegetating up well and will be regularly checked by a landscape architect to ensure they continue in this way.
The EA has a regular WFD monitoring looking at the biological and physio-chemical elements of the watercourses in the area.
Beetles and incidental invertebrates are being recorded by a volunteer VC55 Recorder at Ellis meadows to record pioneer species. Botanical surveys for the phase 1 works are being undertaken by the city ecologist and the Leicestershire & Rutland Ornithological society undertake monthly bird recording
Waterside Care groups report on group activity and habitat work. To date the river Soar groups have undertaken 348 volunteer hours and removed 98 bags of rubbish from the Soar and undertaken & water quality testing activities. This water quality data is submitted to the EA and in time we will be able to monitor any change. In addition six community groups around the city monitor water quality and submit results to FreshWater Watch
The University of Southampton have undertaken a sediment fingerprinting study on the Willow brook catchment and this will feed into future work on NFM and sediment management.
Lessons learnt
This is the start of a 6-year programme of flood risk management works within Leicester. The Soar is navigable in Leicester and as most work was undertaken to improve conveyance we were limited in what improvements to marginal habitat could be undertaken. Most work involved wetland creation within the river corridor and creation of backwaters. Going forward future flood schemes on the Soar tributaries should look at the in-channel and marginal habitat improvements which should help to have a greater impact on WFD classifications.
Leicester is home to surprising amount of protected species for an urban environment. A lot of monitoring work was undertaken and careful consideration given to this during construction. This is something that will feed into future work to ensure that new foraging habitat created is not affected by subsequent work.
Leicester has a very diverse community which speak a large number of languages and for many English isn't their first language. A lot of the information we are trying to convey is in English which means that especially in tackling issues around diffuse pollution the message may be lost. We are looking at ways we can be more effective in getting the message out by doing work with schools and community groups who can then pass the message on.
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