On World Water Day 2021 we are celebrating how managing flood risk and drainage through strategic masterplanning has evolved from a problem to eliminate to an opportunity for green blue infrastructure providing biodiversity and amenity benefits and creating desirable places to live and work.
PJA aim to harness water as an asset in all our projects, striving to ensure that we embrace the value of water and capture the multi-functional benefits it presents in development for new, and existing, communities.
On the doorstep of our Birmingham office, we are proud to be supporting St Modwen Developments Ltd. in the continued regeneration of the former MG factory in Longbridge, in particular with regard to the priority being given to the naturalisation of the River Rea and the Callow Brook as they flow through the site.
Somewhat forgotten, these watercourses flowed through and under the former factory, hidden from view in heavily engineered channels with limited value. In the next phase of works, these watercourses will be brought back to life, aiming to capture the true value of water and promote the opportunity to ‘live with water.’ Both watercourses will be naturalised throughout the site and will unlock significant opportunities for habitat creation, enhancement of water quality and flood mitigation on- and off-site.
In the initial phases of the regeneration of Longbridge, the River Rea was daylighted from it’s underground cavern and brought back into the spotlight, flowing through Austin Park in the new town centre; fast becoming an iconic element of Longbridge.
Looking forward, and aiming to mirror the previous success with the River Rea, we are working to overcome the preconception that watercourses constrain development with limited value. At Longbridge, we are leading from the front to harness the true value of water and restore the natural river corridors to provide enhanced biodiversity and amenity space for all.
Elliot Sellars, Development Director at St Modwen Developments Ltd., said ‘The River Rea and Callow Brook are real assets to Longbridge that have significantly benefited the regeneration of the town centre and will have even further positive impact as West Longbridge develops. Offering residents, businesses and visitors direct access to high quality watercourses continues to be a key driver across Longbridge.’
Alison Caldwell, Associate at PJA, said ‘It is exciting to work on a project which identifies the opportunities of water and is not afraid to embrace the challenges this may bring to development. I’m very proud to be working to restore the River Rea and Callow Brook, aiming to deliver true value of water to Longbridge.’
The water resource team at PJA work with a wide range of public and private organisations to develop flood risk and drainage strategies in challenging locations where development viability and water resource management can often be seen as conflicting factors. However, by considering water management at the inception of a development we can identify where features could be placed to both manage water safety within a viable development, meet the requirements of the planning process and also create an attractive asset for the final end users to enjoy.
For further information on our water management services, please contact [email protected]
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