Almost 50 hectares of nationally-important habitat is being restored in Doncaster as part of an Environment Agency-led project benefiting communities and wildlife.

The work across seven woodland areas, including two Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), will help improve water quality, reduce flood risk, and enhance natural habitats for protected species.

Beginning in September last year, the Inspiring Water Action in the Torne project is creating, restoring and improving up to 46.5 hectares of wet-woodland priority habitats – and involving local communities in doing so.

The 46.5 hectares represents 11 per cent of the Environment Agency’s national target for habitat creation.

Measures include selectively thinning the woodland, re-wetting areas that have dried out, improving access for visitors, and sowing native plants that will help filter pollutants from the environment.

As well as providing for one of the nation’s most threatened bird species – the Willow Tit – the restored wet-woodland will act as a natural aid to reducing flood risk by creating more room for water.

The estimated 4,000 cubic metres of extra storage space will help naturally interrupt and soak up the flow of rising waters, reducing the risk to around 1,000 nearby properties, as well as to agricultural land.

This will lessen the reliance on the Keadby Pumping Station, bringing down the carbon and financial costs of using it to artificially drain excess water from the River Torne into the River Trent.

David Newborough, Environment Agency catchment co-ordinator, said:

Our role is to create better places for people and wildlife. This project is a perfect example of how we can achieve that through simple measures that deliver many benefits.

By restoring wet woodland to a state that’s closer to how nature intended, we’re protecting vital habitat, providing for threatened species, creating spaces that everyone can enjoy, and reducing the risk of flooding, all in one go.

Communities across the area are involved in making the project a success, with volunteers and school children taking active roles.

Around 600 children and young people across seven schools, each linked with one of the woodland sites, are using the project to learn first-hand about flood risk, water quality and management, and ecology.

David continued:

Working with school children is one of the most exciting and rewarding aspects of this project.

They are directly involved in understanding and protecting our natural environment, which is essential for its future. And their enthusiasm for the difference they can make is great to see.

Some of the work is being carried out by volunteers, who are learning new skills in the management of woodland habitats. These skills will help them maintain the improvements into the future.

The £100,000 project, which includes work at Potteric Carr Nature Reserve SSSI, Holmes Carr Wood, Tickhill Low Common, Bog Wood, Bessacarr Bank, Sandall Beat Wood SSSI and Rossington Brick Pond, is expected to bring benefits valued at around £1m.

Inspiring Water Action in the Torne is a Torne Catchment Partnership project led by the Environment Agency and involving Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council, Natural England and local communities.

Flood frequency estimates are an essential part of flood risk management. They tell us what flood flows are expected to occur for a given rarity. They are central to many important decisions, such as the design and operation of flood defences, flood mapping, informing planning decisions in flood risk areas and long-term investment planning.

Methods described in the Flood Estimation Handbook (FEH) published in 1999, and its many subsequent updates, are considered the industry standard for flood estimation in the UK. They are used extensively by hydrologists from both the public and private sectors.

Flood frequency estimates (also known as design flood estimates) are associated with many sources of uncertainty. These hydrological uncertainties are often the most uncertain component in any flood risk assessment. As a result, any reduction in the uncertainty of flood frequency estimation has considerable benefit. One way to reduce uncertainty is to incorporate complementary local data to refine the results obtained using the FEH methods.

The Environment Agency has developed a new guide that will help flood risk managers identify and manage the uncertainty in their flood risk assessments and flood defence designs.

This new guide replaces the Environment Agency’s Fluvial Freeboard Guidance Note (report W187) published in 2000. It is written for all flood risk management authorities, developers, and engineering consultants who work on their behalf.

The Coal Authority has taken responsibility for the site and the repair works will take between 6 to 8 weeks to complete.

Only a 6 metre deep hole is visible at the road surface, but this leads to the shaft which goes down a further 56 metres to a total depth of 62 metres.

Work began last week with stone, pressurised grouting and a concrete plug being needed to stabilise the ground. Once the shaft is filled, work will begin on reconstructing the road.

Tim Marples, Head of Public Safety and Subsidence for the Coal Authority, said that work to repair the collapse in Kilbowie Road has already begun.

He added: “The unrecorded shaft at Kilbowie Road is one of our top operational priorities and our prime concern is the safety of the public.

“Our engineers have designed a solution to safely fill the shaft and repair the road and we’re working with West Dunbartonshire Council and the utility companies on our proposals.

“This particular repair is complicated by the exposed utility services within the 62 metre deep void, which we’re working to protect.

“From our experience, the work will take between 6 to 8 weeks to complete and cost in the region of £250,000.

“Our aim is get the road re-opened as soon as possible to minimise the impact on local residents and traffic. We apologise for the inconvenience and disruption caused presently and during the forthcoming works.”

For more details please read the full press release

For further updates please visit West Dunbartonshire Council’s website

Harwich Haven Authority (HHA) is seeking to have a new dredged material disposal site designated. Some of the dredged material is used in beneficial reuse schemes with the remainder disposed of at a licensed offshore disposal ground called Inner Gabbard located about 30km east of Harwich. HHA believe that a disposal site closer to shore would help reduce carbon dioxide emissions, steaming time and fuel.

The MMO has granted Harwich Haven Authority a marine licence that permits 2 trial disposals of 500,000 cubic metres of dredged material arising from maintenance dredging at Harwich and Felixstowe Harbour. The trial disposal site is referred to as the Harwich Haven disposal site (Cefas Site Code: TH027).

A condition of this licence is that monitoring data is collected during the course of the two trial disposal campaigns and a Monitoring Report is submitted to the MMO within four months of completion of the two trial campaigns. This Monitoring Report can be viewed on this page.

The monitoring report aims to provide the information necessary to inform the MMO’s assessment of the suitability of the proposed new site for designation to receive future dredged material.

The MMO is not obliged by statute to consult publically on this issue but the MMO has always been of the view that the general public and not just known stakeholders should have the opportunity to make representations.

If you would like to make a representation please make sure that you do so in writing using the contact details on this page. Representations should quote reference L/2013/00392.