CEEQUAL rating of Excellent for St Austell Bay regeneration - BRE Group
CEEQUAL rating of Excellent for St Austell Bay regeneration project
Overview
The St Austell Bay Resilient Regeneration (StARR) project was a combination of urban and upstream interventions, which aimed to reduce flood risk to communities living and working in the St Austell Bay area. The focus of the Interim Award assessment was on the Urban Infrastructure elements. The project earned a CEEQUAL (now known as BREEAM Infrastructure) rating of Excellent.
About
The project is received £7.8m of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Additional funding was provided by a variety of sources including DEFRA Growth funds, Flood Defence Grant in Aid, South West Water and Cornwall Council.
Background
There were clear environmental and social targets set out since the start of the project. These targets gave benchmarks for monitoring and reporting as the project progresses.
Site selection underwent vigorous assessment with preferred scheme selection taking into consideration economic impacts, provisioning services, regulatory services, cultural services; and supporting services.
Challenges
The project-wide aims were:
Natural flood management - the process where natural processes are used to store water in areas that poses less risk to flooding properties and infrastructure. Using a catchment-based approach there are generally three mechanisms that are commonly used for natural flood management. These are 1) increasing infiltration 2) storing water 3) slowing the flow of water
To address the immediate flood risk management issues in Par and St Blazey, such as dealing with the issues that led to the 2010 flooding
To ensure that current flood risk management system is in good condition for the next 25 years
To recognise that the Project is the first part in a longer-term aspiration to address flood risk management in Par and St Blazey
To prepare the community of Par and St Blazey to adapt for climate change
To ensure this project contributes to the economic and social regeneration of the area
To achieve community and political support for the project
Work in partnership with the community to co-design a flood risk management system that both protects and enhances the community and natural environment
Solutions
Site compound and betterment post-construction
Consultation with St Blazey cricket club were undertaken with regards to establishment of a temporary car park and pedestrian link for use by Doubletrees School during the construction of the tank solution. The car park was intended to remain in place following construction and completion of the Doubletrees school tank to provide legacy benefit for the cricket club and the wider community.
The water environment
Due to the project being intrinsically related to water issues, a number of key stakeholders including the Environment Agency, South West Water and the West Country Rivers Trust were involved throughout the design stage. As a result of Ground Investigation, the Bull Engine Park detention basin was lined. This was to reduce risks associated with both infiltration of water into the ground and potential leaching of contaminants into shallow groundwater. They also protected from any direct entry of contaminated surface water run-off into shallow groundwater via an unlined basin.
People and communities
There were a number of consultations held by Cornwall Council, the client with stakeholders and with the community via workshops. For one of the major schemes, Lavrean, consultation included an Ecology Workshop, which has included the client’s Managing Agent MWJV, CORMAC, Natural England, University of Exeter, West Country Rivers Trust and the Environment Agency.
The historic environment
A Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) was carried out for St Blazey by suitably qualified historical environment professionals. As part of this HIA there has been consultation with the Development Management Group Leader (Planning and Historic Environment) for Cornwall Council.
Benefits
Long-term planned maintenance
The design of the slope angles at the ponds at Bull Engine Park have been changed from 1:3 to 1:4 to improve safe access for future maintenance, due to the limited space on site and restricted access
All other ponds have a 1:3 slope allowing safe access and maintenance
Untreated hardwoods will be specified to reduce maintenance and avoid chemical treatments
Retention of existing structures and materials
Granite setts were removed from the White House Farm intervention on the Par Riverbank for installation of culverts is anticipated to be re-used as part of the rock boulder trails within the urban infrastructure interventions at Aberdeen Close, Bull Engine Park, St Blazey Ponds and St Austell Road
Granite kerbing from Par Lane to facilitate the installation of the rain gardens is be re-used somewhere on wider StARR project or strategy for alternative re-use will be developed