Wash Banks  Flood Defence Scheme

Contribution to sustainable development and people’s quality of life:

The scheme created a new nature reserve by returning 78 hectares of agricultural land to salt marsh habitat and creating a 12 hectare brackish lagoon. The area is rapidly reverting to saltmarsh habitat and the brackish lagoon has seen avocets breeding on it (the first time in 100 years in Lincolnshire.)

The site has become a major tourist attraction and is now one of the top ten RSPB sites by visitor numbers.

Organisation: Environment Agency in partnership with RSPB, English Nature, HMP North Sea Camp and Lincolnshire County Council.

Sector: Partnership

Location: Freiston, Boston, Lincolnshire

Start Date: The outer bank was breached in August 2002

Summary: The Wash Banks flood defence scheme covers 8km of the coast of the Wash in Lincolnshire from Hobhole Sluice in the Witham Haven to Butterwick. The scheme was funded by grant aid from Defra and the Lincolnshire Flood Defence Committee. Construction involved a combination of strengthening of the existing embankment, the provision of a new closure bank and the realignment of the sea defences to provide a 12-hectare brackish lagoon and a 78-hectare realignment area to develop into a saltmarsh. This has provided a sustainable 1:200 year standard of flood defence to the town of Boston and the surrounding area. The original line of the sea defence was breached in three places and construction of the project was effectively completed at the time of the last breach in summer 2002.

Project successes:

• The improvement of the flood defences to Boston, 80,000 hectares of low lying Grade 1 agricultural land and numerous isolated rural communities. Prior to the construction of the new defences, the existing bank provided them with a standard of protection of 1 in 20 years (5% risk of breaching). The scheme that the Agency has implemented provides them with a standard of protection of 1 in 200 years (0.5% risk of breaching). This is a significant increase in standard of protection for the area.

• The creation of 78 hectares of saltmarsh in the realignment area and a 12 hectare brackish lagoon from the borrow pit area, which is the largest managed realignment site in the country to date.

• The flood defence is completely sustainable as we are working with nature and allowing nature to act as an integral part of the flood defences.

• The new saltmarsh is also making a significant contribution towards Britain's Biodiversity Action Plans (BAP) targets. The 78 hectares of saltmarsh created here is 56% of the national target for saltmarsh creation per annum. In addition, the 12 hectares of new saline lagoon created by excavating material for the new sea bank are also a valuable contribution towards a national priority BAP habitat.

• The Washbanks scheme was used as “match funding” to access £789,877 of European Union Objective 5b funding. This money has been used to facilitate a variety of environmental and access improvements which have encouraged tourism and recreational use of the local area. Car parks, a bird hide, a cycle route as well as interpretation boards and promotional leaflets are just some of the outputs.

• In order to implement the “match funding” element a partnership was developed between the Agency, English Nature, RSPB, Lincolnshire County Council, Boston Borough Council and HMP Prison Service. The relationships built up on this scheme are continuing to bring benefits to other schemes in Anglian Region

• Monitoring of the site has shown that it has attracted nationally significant numbers of birds and these have included birds that have not bred in Lincolnshire for over 100 years (Avocets).

• The creation of the new Freiston Shore RSPB Nature Reserve following the sale of the land by HM Prison North Sea Camp. The reserve covers 773 hectares and includes the 78 hectares realignment area and a 12-hectare brackish lagoon.

• The number of visitors prior to the site opening is difficult to ascertain, however it is believed that the number to be in the region of 11,000. Since opening the Freiston Shore RSPB Nature Reserve, a more robust method of counting visitors has been implemented. In the 2002 calendar year, there were 51,142 visitors and from January to November 2003, there have been 53,011. This makes it one of the top ten RSPB visited sites in the country.

• The increase in visitor numbers has led to the economic regeneration of the area, with the Prison opening up a café and planning permission being applied for a B & B at the site. There is also anecdotal evidence of increased trade in the local shops and hostelries.

Contact Details:

E-mail: andrew.usborne@environment-agency.gov.uk