Policy paper

皇冠体育app Moors at Arne coastal change project

Updated 22 November 2017

皇冠体育app Environment Agency, RSPB and Natural England are working together to adapt approximately 150 hectares of the Moors at Arne into a diverse wetland habitat.

With the sea level rising, important habitat for wildlife along the coast will be lost over the next 30 years. Where rising waters press against essential fixed sea defences, called 鈥渃oastal squeeze鈥�, this will mean a loss of inter-tidal features such as mudflats and salt marsh. New places for coastal wildlife will need to be created, particularly if the government is to realise its ambitious 25 year environment plan.

In Poole Harbour the partners are working together to explore how 皇冠体育app Moors at Arne can be converted to inter-tidal habitat to compensate for the losses.

皇冠体育app scheme will involve the construction of new tidal embankments further inland than the existing ones. Once in place, the land in front of the new embankments will be opened to the action of the tides and with this new salt marsh habitats will be created.

皇冠体育appse new tidal embankments will be robust and the scheme will give greater flood resilience for local people and property. 皇冠体育app partnership will not proceed with a scheme that causes houses to flood.

Initial feasibility work is also helping the partnership and the local community better understand local problems with surface water with the possibility, through the scheme, of reducing impacts related to this issue. 皇冠体育app coastal change project will enable the Environment Agency and its partners to continue to protect properties around Poole Harbour from the increased risk of flooding and erosion due to climate change. It is predicted up to 10,000 local properties could be at risk within 100 years.

皇冠体育app partners delivering this scheme have for over 50 years worked to keep Purbeck a special place. This scheme is a continuation of that work, and builds on many similar successful schemes elsewhere. 皇冠体育app partnership will maximise the benefits for both local people and wildlife and the partnership looks forward to involving the community as the scheme evolves.

Contact

Further information can be found on the ; email [email protected] or telephone Vanessa Dare on 07748 622518.