NEW WETLAND BIRD REFUGE NEAR IMMINGHAM EARNS TOP AWARD FOR PLANNING EXCELLENCE

Cress Marsh - the hope is that, in time, it will attract significant numbers of curlew, godwit. redshank, wigeon and other wetland birds 

CREATION of a new refuge near Immingham for wading birds and wildfowl has earned a feather in the cap for North East Lincolnshire Council and its private-sector partner, Engie.

Cress Marsh at Stallingborough has been laid out in a series of lagoons to make it attractive to wetland birds.

The purpose of the project has been to provide mitigation habitat for birds  soon likely to be displaced by proposed industrial development on adjacent land.

The concept has been sufficiently impressive to win a Royal Town Planning Institute award for planning excellence.

Cress Marsh came out top in the Planning for the Natural Environment category.

Judges were said to have been 'extremely impressed’.

They believe the project represents ‘leading practice in the industry’ and provides a template that ‘should, be replicated elsewhere’ as a means of  uniting the economy along with public, private and environmental sectors.

Says Engie's spatial planning manager, Ian King: "It is testament to all those involved that we have achieved such success, and we applaud the innovative approach taken by our partners at the council. "

The project team is said to have collaborated with Natural England, the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, the RSPB, the Humber Nature Partnership, the Environment Agency, plus landowners and developers.

Cress Marsh accommodates a bird hide next to a large central lagoon which feeds seven more water-filled ‘cells’ via pipework infrastructure.

Comments NELC's head of regeneration, Cllr John Fenty: "We are delighted that this work has been recognised nationally.”

One downside to the site is that it lies under overhead power lines, posing a collision risk, especially after dark,  for incoming birds