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ASEA Flood defence newsletter
03 July 2023

Progress and news update
 

Joint message from the lead project partners

We bring you exciting news about water voles moving into one of our project’s new wetlands just outside Bristol. Hallen Marsh is part of over 80 hectares of new wetland habitat created through the project. These wetlands will provide an alternative habitat for overwintering birds that would otherwise use land being developed in the Avonmouth and Severnside Enterprise Area. They will provide a home for many of other species too, including their newest arrivals, the water voles. We’re very proud to support this endangered species. The project team has been busy across the entire project area which stretches from Aust in South Gloucestershire to Lamplighter’s Marsh in Bristol. The team has made important improvements to the Kings Weston Outfall to stop tidal water entering the local drainage system. It has completed work in many areas and the project is making impressive progress. Once finished in 2026/27, the project will provide 17km of new and improved flood defences, reducing flood risk to around 2,500 homes and businesses and helping unlock 12,000 new jobs for the West of England.  


Nicola Beech

Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning, Resilience and Flood Strategy, Bristol City Council



Dan Norris
West of England Mayor

Cllr Louise Harris

Cabinet Member for Climate
and Nature Emergency
South Gloucestershire Council 



Emma Baker
Area Director
Environment Agency 

New home for water voles 

Water voles are busily burrowing into their new home on our wetland near Bristol after they were released onto the site in the spring. With its ditches and vegetation, the wetland at Hallen Marsh is the perfect habitat for these brown furry mammals, which are amongst the most endangered species in the UK.

Watch our video of the water voles arriving and read the full story here.

Stopping tidal water  

We’ve improved the Kings Weston Outfall in Bristol to stop tidal water entering the local drainage system. The team has replaced old flap valves with new tide valves. The work is part of improvements to several outfalls throughout the Avonmouth and Severnside Enterprise Area project area.

Read the story here.

Above: New tide valves installed at Kings Weston Outfall 

Site tour for local group  

Earlier in the year we were delighted to welcome the Avonmouth Planning Group for a tour of the site. The group took a minibus tour of the site, stopping to see the progress of the work and its benefits in the area. Read the full story here.

Above: Members of the Avonmouth Planning Group on a site tour.

Ground Engineering Awards: Project shortlisted 

We are very excited that the project has been shortlisted for this year’s Ground Engineering Awards in the UK Project with a Geotechnical Value over £3M category. Find out more here.

Progress update

Passage Road area to New Passage

What’s happened

We have constructed a new flood wall at Aust Wharf Road and installed flood gates at the north end of Aust Wharf Road, Passage Road and New Passage. As part of the work, we’ve also installed a section of a filter drainage system at Passage Road and raised the earth flood embankment next to it. Work to raise sections of the road to tie in with the new defences are largely complete. We’ve also added road markings and installed signposts on Passage Road and are maintaining the landscaped areas along the flood embankments and cutting the grass. 

We’ve raised the outfall structures at Cake Pill, Chestle Pill and Cotteralls Pill and have completed New Passage’s flood defence wall. Improvements to existing earth embankments in the area are underway and set to be complete by the end of the year.  

Above: Aust Wharf Road flood defence wall
What’s next?

We’re nearly ready to reopen Passage Road but first we need to fix some issues with the automatic closing mechanism on the flood gate. This means that finishing the works is taking longer than expected.  

We will now hold our planned cycle ride to mark the reopening of National Cycle Network Route 4 along the road later in the year. We will be back in touch with a new date. In the meantime, the cycle route is open in the evenings and on weekends on a trial basis.  

At Northwick Warth we will complete the snagging and landscaping works ahead of re-opening footpaths in the area. 

Severn Beach area
What’s happened

The new precast flood defence walls to the north and south of Severn Beach are complete, and we have reopened footpaths next to Riverside Park. We have also reseeded the embankment area next to the new wall at Riverside Park. 

To the south, near Chittening on the seaward side of the railway, we have completed the sheet-piled flood defence wall and installed habitat shelves.  

At New Pill Outfall, we are refurbishing and reinstalling flap closing mechanism equipment and have refurbished the eel-friendly flap closing mechanism. 

Landscaping works throughout this area are largely complete. 

What’s next?

Between Severn Beach South and New Pill, we are continuing with finishing works and aiming to open the footpath this summer.   

Avonmouth Docks & Lamplighter’s Marsh  
What’s happened

We have completed most of the work at the outfall structures within the port and River Avon flood defences are almost complete. 

At Chittening Warth, we have re-started earthworks to construct the flood embankment between Stupp Pill and Mitchells Salt outfalls. South of Holesmouth we have completed the placing of fill material to the flood embankment. 

Along the Port Road, we have begun work to install the precast flood defence wall. 

At Lamplighter’s Marsh, we’ve almost finished the new concrete flood defence wall and completed a new maintenance access track for National Highways under the M5 bridge. We have also installed a twin leaf floodgate at the entrance of Lamplighter’s Marsh. We have reinstated the footpath and surfacing. We have also reinstated fencing to secure Bristol City Council’s compound beneath the M5 bridge. 

Above: Port Road flood defence works
What’s next

We will continue to work on the flood defence along Port Road which should be complete in spring 2024. We will commission the flood gate and complete landscaping works to the flood embankment at Lamplighter's Marsh.​   

Wetlands
What’s happened

At both Hallen Marsh and Northwick Wetlands we have been progressing the landscaping works and the planting is now complete. We have finished all ditch crossings and flow control structures. The wetlands should be complete by the end of the year. 

What’s next

We’ll be working on remedial earthworks at Northwick Wetlands. We’ll be reinstalling water supplies across the main site at Northwick and Hallen Marsh and placing new water troughs.

Above: Hallen Marsh Wetland
Footpath News

We will be opening the footpath in the Northwick Warth area towards the end of the year. We have reopened footpaths north of Severn Beach and are planning to reopen the footpaths between Severn Beach South and New Pill later this summer. We are continuing to work closely with Natural England and South Gloucestershire Council to install footpath signage in the Severn Beach area. 

At Lamplighter’s Marsh, the temporary footpath access at the Avonmouth end remains open. The new footpath alignment through the flood gate there will open in the autumn. 

We’ve also reopened Passage Road to cyclists in the evenings and on weekends on a trial basis before the official reopening later in the year.

Engaging with you

We continue to meet regularly with representatives from local community groups through our Community Forum.

Unlocking future economic growth

A key purpose of the flood defences is to enable the mix of industrial and former industrial areas and other sites in ASEA to become viable for commercial development and generate 12,000 new jobs by 2026. You can find out more about this potential opportunity in our short video. 

Our website

Visit our website for the latest news and project progress as well as other important updates.

Contact us  

Email us at ASEA.PLO@BAMNuttall.co.uk
Visit the ASEA Flood Defence webpage
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Copyright © 2023 South Gloucestershire Council, All rights reserved.


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