South Hooe Bere Peninsula - Existing View looking East
South Hooe Bere Peninsula
Environmental Restoration
Navigating the challenges of habitat restoration.
Project Description
With support from Natural England, the Environment agency delivered this project to create vital inter-tidal habitats to enhance the landscape and adjacent designated sites and to offset those habitats being lost due to sea level rise and the presence of hard flood defence assets where natural inland migration of habitats is not possible.
Project Description
Our primary responsibility was to prepare concept visualisations illustrating the appearance of the proposed restoration work, particularly the intertidal habitat created by breaching the existing flood-bank. This work was beneficial to the public and stakeholder consultation phases, effectively aiding the decision-making process.
The 19-hectare site was a former saltmarsh, converted to agricultural land between 1750 and 1850 through the introduction of embankments preventing tidal flooding.
Re-introducing historic field boundaries, creating new woodlands, and restoring traditional characteristic features, enhances the landscape whilst reinstating natural flooding creates priority habitats, fostering improved biodiversity, and mitigating downstream flood risks.
Details of Our Work
We were chosen for our understanding of habitat creation and ability to accurately visualise future landscapes. Our team’s objective was to promote the concept of breaching old banks to allow natural flooding, thereby establishing new wetland areas.
To garner local community support, we collaborated extensively with the landowner and the Environment Agency. Our visualisations portrayed the land in its natural state, supporting the vision of transforming it into a nature reserve that would boost local bird populations and overall biodiversity.
Main Tasks
Our key responsibility involved creating visual materials that helped stakeholders visualise the potential transformation of the South Hooe site. The visuals needed to include:
- Full bank removal
- Half tide and low tide scenarios
- Short-term (colonising vegetation) forecasts for 5-10 years
- Long-term (mature habitat) projections for 25+ years
Utilising CGIs, we delivered dynamic visual representations that captured the anticipated landscape, successfully bringing the Environment Agency’s ideas to life. The imagery included a mix of 3D models and 2D imagery to convey the aesthetic essence of the project effectively.
We worked closely with the Environment Agency and collaborated with NPA Landscape Design for design support throughout the project.
Location
- River Tamar, Plymouth
Client
- Environment Agency
Collaborators
NPA Landscape Design
South Hooe Bere Peninsula - Proposed View and Year 5 (Low Tide) looking East
South Hooe Bere Peninsula - Proposed View and Year 10 (High Tide) looking East
South Hooe Bere Peninsula - Existing View looking West
South Hooe Bere Peninsula - Proposed View and Year 5 (Low Tide) looking West
South Hooe Bere Peninsula - Proposed View and Year 10 (High Tide) looking West
Project Highlights and Challenges
This project culminated in the successful completion of a rewilding initiative, providing significant ecological benefits and community engagement.
Key tasks included:
- Development of visualisation materials
- Engaging with stakeholders to foster support
- Collaborating with the Environment Agency and NPA Landscape Design
Despite challenges including community doubts about the project and the complexities of altering the flood bank, our visualisations played a critical role in illustrating the potential benefits and garnering support.
Conclusion
The South Hooe Bere Peninsula Restoration Project is now complete, marking a successful rewilding initiative.
Our experience in this project underscores the importance of effective visualisation in landscape and habitat restoration initiatives. By accurately conveying potential changes, we can foster community support and streamline the decision-making process for similar projects in the future.
