A unique project allowing wildlife and industry to thrive together as part of a multi-million pound economic development scheme has been shortlisted for a national planning award.
The South Humber Gateway Mitigation Strategy, one arm of the £42 million industrial transformational project, has made the final six in the Excellence in Planning for the Natural Environment category of the RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence.
The most prestigious event within the nation’s planning sector, the London awards ceremony in April celebrates the very best examples of planning and structure in society.
For the team at North East Lincolnshire Council and its regeneration partner Engie, the shortlisting recognises the significant challenges that were overcome along with working together with specialist bodies to create a platform for the protection of important wildlife, as the South Humber Industrial Investment Programme expands.
Spatial planning manager Ian King, said the mitigation project is a “shining example of what can be achieved when a true balance of economic social and environmental objectives is pursued”.
Described as ‘ground-breaking’ in its approach, the model has seen planners working with Natural England, Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, RSPB, Humber Nature Partnership, Environment Agency and land owners/developers to create areas of wet and grass lands along the South Humber bank, which is a protected area due to its importance for wintering birds.
Land called Cress Marsh at Stallingborough has been set aside and purposely developed as mitigation ground that can offset industrial development or business expansion – speeding up the planning process for developers.
Completed last year, it contains a bird hide next to a large central lagoon, which feeds seven more water-filled ‘cells’ via pipework infrastructure.
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By invitation ‘twitchers’ use the bird hide to log the breeds visiting the new site, and recent figures show ten varieties that are in The British Trust for Ornithology’s (BTO) ‘red’ or ‘critical list’. These include grey wagtail, herring gull, lapwing, skylark, linnet, ringed plover, ruff, yellow wagtail and yellowhammer.
Mr King said: “The key to the approach was to bring together divergent groups to develop an approach that provided benefits for landowners and developers but also provided optimum benefits for the environmental bodies; effectively a win-win.”
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The transformational project has been supported by the European Regional Development Fund, Humber Local Enterprise Partnership and Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership.
NELC’s regeneration head, Cllr John Fenty, said: “This is proof indeed of the innovative approach our teams are taking to support businesses to either develop or expand here. In turn we are recognising the need to look at and protect the natural environment. We have a great team here and this shortlist is well deserved.”