Over the next two years, as part of the Landscape Recovery Project development phase, Clinton Devon Estates will be working with contractors and stakeholders to develop a detailed, fundable proposition for restoring and connecting wildlife habitats across approximately 4,144 hectares of the lower Otter catchment. The goal is that this multi-functional landscape will also meet the needs for food, timber, clean water and access alongside the mitigation of climate change effects such as flooding.
To enable us to progress these plans and identify feasible options for landscape change we have appointed expert contractors who will be completing survey work over the summer. Clinton Devon Estates are delighted to welcome Dynamic Rivers, Geckoella and AC Archaeology to the project team.
Dynamic Rivers (Survey and Design) Ltd will be undertaking hydrological surveys of the River Otter and some of its tributaries within the project area. Their surveys will identify a range of options and recommendations for floodplain restoration which assesses the likely benefits to nature and natural flood management.
A team from Geckoella Ltd will be surveying habitats to understand how the catchment currently supports wildlife and what enhancements can be made. They will also look at the current challenges around invasive non-native species and how this might be addressed. Creating an accurate baseline of our existing wildlife is vital to enable the project to access funding for nature improvements in the future.
AC Archaeology will be helping us to understand what heritage assets exist within the project area and how these might be enhanced or accessed as part of the project. They will also ensure the necessary protection of these assets is considered in the context of the wider landscape change taking place through the project.
Completing these surveys and scoping phases will enable us to identify a range of options for landscape change. Over the late summer and autumn, we will then be communicating these options to stakeholders, and getting feedback and input from local groups and the wider public. Keep an eye on the website for dates of stakeholder engagement events.
If you are interested in being kept up to date on project plans and progress you can register interest and give your thoughts on the project through our Stakeholder Engagement Survey here: https://forms.office.com/e/Hei0iFjfmV
