Restoration work set to start on River Breamish and Pow Burn in Northumberland

Led by Tweed Forum in collaboration with the Environment Agency and Natural England, the initiative is the next phase in a project to restore the River Till catchment.

Like many rivers, the Breamish has been modified over the centuries through straightening, flood embankment creation, dredging and drainage works, mainly for agricultural purposes.

This has created a river disconnected from its floodplain, leading to a decline in freshwater species, reduced biodiversity and an increased risk of flooding.

The work at Hedgeley will restore 4.9km of river on the Breamish and 2.2km at Pow Burn and will introduce a series of measures to restore the natural processes of the river and its floodplain to enable it to function once again as a healthy, natural system.

Work begins on 10 August and is expected to take 4-6 weeks to deliver.

Carefully planned measures will include the creation of new chute channels to allow water to flow more naturally across the floodplain, reconnecting ponds and wetlands to the river, and lowering artificial embankments to allow floodplain wetting. Redundant hard engineering will be removed and natural materials such as large woody debris introduced to improve habitat diversity.

Craig Marshall, senior project officer at Tweed Forum said: “Many of the changes introduced over the years restrict the river’s natural ability to function as a healthy, dynamic system. This restoration project will help to reverse these impacts, giving the river more space to move and interact naturally with its floodplain.

"This will enhance the landscape’s resilience to the increased number of flood events and periods of drought that we’re already beginning to see as the climate changes.”

Alastair Laverty, technical specialist at the Environment Agency, said: “Through working with nature, we aim to restore many of the river features that have been lost over the centuries. This also means letting the river spread out more naturally, earlier and more widely across the floodplain when it floods, rather than being squeezed into a single channel. That eases the pressure on the local communities and helps the area cope better as our climate changes.

"In addition, the restoration project will provide a welcome boost to biodiversity in the River Breamish and Pow Burn; improve water quality; and provide more opportunities for a range of species to thrive.”

Karen Purvis, senior advisor at Natural England said: “This project is a fantastic example of what can be achieved when partners work together for the benefit of both nature and people. Natural England has worked closely with Hedgeley Estate to develop a Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier scheme, which will provide the revenue payments needed to support the long-term management of this restored landscape, ensuring the benefits for wildlife, water quality and flood resilience can be sustained well into the future.”

Funding for the project has been provided by the Environment Agency, Tweed Forum, Defra and Northumberland Water Ltd’s Bluespaces project. The work is being delivered with the support of landowner Hedgeley Estate, George Dodds & Co, Dynamic Rivers and Haywood Contracting.