The Tide returns after 200 years due to £4.5m Restoration Scheme
The Environment Agency’s Greatham Marsh Restoration Scheme in Hartlepool sees the return of the tide for the first time in over 200 years.
Greatham Marsh following the restoration works, at a regular tide. Credit: Environment Agency.
A new £4.5 million project has seen the return of the tide for the first time in over 200 years following completion of the Environment Agency’s Greatham Marsh Restoration Scheme in Hartlepool.
Greatham Marsh before restoration works. Credit: Environment Agency
The Environment Agency, working in partnership with The Greatham Foundation and Northumbrian Water, has restored the original course of Greatham Beck and removed a tidal barrier, allowing the tide to return to an area won from the sea over 200 years ago.
This new section is part of the wider £30 million Tees Tidelands Programme that aims to realign flood defences, restore intertidal and river habitats, and reconnect tributaries and local communities with the estuary.
The restoration project
The project has seen the beck restored to its original course, filled in about 50 years ago. Sections of old flood bank were removed together with a tidal sluice that was no longer required. This allows coastal saltmarsh to re-establish through natural processes to provide valuable wetland habitats for wildlife.
The work will enable restoration of 21.3 hectares of coastal saltmarsh, mudflat, and high tide roosts, providing crucial habitat for internationally important species including curlews and avocets.
The restoration will also improve water quality and strengthen the area’s resilience to climate change and sea level rise.
Following the successful construction, native hedgerow will be planted on site alongside hedgerow enhancement and tree planting. Some 9 hectares of neutral grassland will also be sown.
Tidal structure before the restoration works. Credit: Environment Agency
It will also remove flood defences that are no longer required, helping the Environment Agency to focus its resources on maintaining defences that protect people or property.
The site of the tidal sluice following its removal. Credit: Environment Agency.
Matthew Rountree, Environment Agency Project Manager, said:
This project enables the restoration of a large area of coastal saltmarsh on the Tees Estuary through natural processes. The area will provide valuable habitat for wildlife and capture hundreds of tonnes of carbon each year.
By allowing Greatham Beck to return to its natural form, we are restoring balance to the estuary and allowing the tide to return to areas lost to development. It also enables migratory fish to return after decades of absence.
Our next steps are seeding the intended grassland and planting 1.7km of species-rich native hedgerow and ecologically valuable treeline.
Deborah Lewis-Bynoe, Chief Executive, The Greatham Foundation, said:
The completion of the Greatham Saltmarsh Restoration Scheme is a fantastic milestone, and we are incredibly proud to have worked alongside the Environment Agency and Northumbrian Water.
Working in partnership to achieve outcomes like this reflects our commitment to enhancing the sustainability of our charity and creating a positive and lasting impact across our communities, both for people and for the environment.
Richard Warneford, Wastewater Director at Northumbrian Water, said:
The benefits from this scheme are significant and diverse, but ultimately great news for the environment and a real boost for the Tees.
Playing a role in helping make the Greatham Marsh Restoration Scheme a reality is part of our wider commitment to supporting improvements for the Tees Estuary through direct investment and engagement with wider partnership working.
Background
Northumbrian Water
Northumbrian Water has contributed £2.086 million towards the Greatham Marsh project to investigate the nutrient reduction benefits of the scheme’s approach.
Greatham Saltmarsh Restoration Project
The site borders the Teesmouth and Cleveland Coast Special Protection Area (SPA) and Ramsar site which is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
Saltmarsh will help capture nutrients that would otherwise encourage algal growth that smothers estuary mudflat habitats, and prevents birds feeding on worms in that mud. Saltmarsh is also known to capture carbon, so the project will help in our battle against climate change.
The Environment Agency has worked with partners on Greatham Marsh Restoration, including The Greatham Foundation (landowners), BAM Nuttall (contractors), JBA Consulting (designers), Turner & Townsend (project management support), and Northumbrian Water (financial contributors).
The project faced some on site challenges including extreme weather conditions, archaeological findings of interest and nesting birds.
Tees Tidelands Programme
The River Tees Estuary sits at the heart of one of the North East’s industrial centres. While this industry is vital for jobs and the economy, human activity within the estuary has led to the loss of 90% of the intertidal habitat that once existed, and barriers on all tributaries.
The Tees Tidelands Programme is a ground-breaking initiative helping the River Tees estuary adapt to climate change by restoring over 50 hectares of mudflats, saltmarsh and other valuable estuarine habitats, as well as reducing flood risk for homes and businesses, now and into the future.
Once complete, it will deliver long-term flood risk management, alongside significant improvements to nature and water quality. The ambitious programme features schemes across Teesside at sites near Greatham, Port Clarence, Portrack, along the banks of the River Tees and in rivers such as Lustrum Beck, Ormesby Beck and Billingham Beck.
The Greatham Foundation
The Greatham Foundation is a charity with a long history dating back to 1273. We are dedicated to helping older people and those affected by dementia live well within supportive communities.
Through our residential care home, community-based dementia support, day services, Almshouses, grant funding and wider charitable activities, we work to improve lives, reduce isolation and create lasting social impact across the region. To find out more about The Greatham Foundation and our work, visit [www.thegreathamfoundation.org.uk](The Greatham Foundation