Plans submitted to restore marshland for wildlife

A tidal structure on Greatham Beck is set to be demolished to help restore marshland and allow fish passage

Plans to restore an area of natural marshland have taken a step forward, the Environment Agency (EA) has said.

Designs have been drawn up to re-establish parts of Greatham Marsh on Teesside, and residents have been invited to a drop-in event on Tuesday to find out more.

The EA said Greatham Beck was one of the most heavily modified and developed estuaries in the UK, and less than 10% of the original wildlife habitats remained.

The plans include creating saltmarshes and mudflats for wildlife, by demolishing a tidal structure to allow the beck to flow as it naturally should.

The drop-in event will be held at Greatham Community Centre on Tuesday 14 May from 17:30 to 19:00 BST.

The event comes more than a year after a previous drop-in about the Greatham Marsh restoration project.

The EA is aiming to restore the alignment of Greatham Beck by opening its channels to tidal influence and re-establishing parts of the natural marshland, without increasing flood risk.

At the time of the previous drop-in, the EA said it was "considering options", but ha now undertaken feasibility studies and agreed a preferred option which has now completed the detailed design phase.

People are being asked to view and share their thoughts about proposed works at Greatham Marsh by visiting Hartlepool Borough Council's planning portal.

Current proposals include demolishing the tidal structure and permanently diverting the existing Public Right of Way, so that the footpath will sit "outside of the wetted perimeter of the intertidal habitat".