Bioscan acted for Brett Group in designing and then assessing the ecological impacts of a scheme to use imported inert fill to reduce the depth profile of a flooded former clay working on the Thames Estuary.

As well as part of Brett’s operational site at Cliffe, the lake forms part of the Thames Estuary and Marshes Special Protection Area and is also designated SSSI and Ramsar Site. The project required close liaison with regulators Natural England and the Environment Agency and collaborative working with the RSPB, both as owners of the adjoining Cliffe Pools nature reserve, and as the intended beneficiaries of the finished site.

Bioscan’s design, which when implemented will deliver shallow saline lagoon habitats and an expanded habitat for waders, whist retaining deep water areas as a winter refuge for diving bird species, was selected for special commendation in the Mineral Products Association’s biodiversity awards. The project is now entering the implementation phase.