Plan timeline: Lower Otter Restoration Project

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plans

Queen’s Green Canopy

The Environment Agency, on behalf of the Lower Otter Restoration Project, has been granted a virtual plaque after planting 225 trees to form part of the Queen’s Green Canopy which marked the 2022 Platinum Jubilee.

Click here to see the plaque.

2 January 2024: After a fascinating journey over the past few years, we are pleased to be able to say that the construction phase of the pioneering Lower Otter Restoration Project is now complete.

As a result, this website will no longer be updated, but it is our intention that it should remain available online as a publicly available source of information until the end of 2024.

To comply with data protection legislation, the project mailing list is being deleted as no fresh updates will be issued by this route.

The Lower Otter is now being managed by the Pebblebed Heaths Conservation Trust and you can sign up for their newsletters here.

You can still email the project team and your message will be passed to the most relevant team member for a response.

On behalf of the whole team we would like to thank all those partners and members of the public who have supported us in this challenging and important project which has led to the creation of 55ha of fantastic intertidal habitat, benefiting wildlife and the community.

Residents celebrate opening of the 'Elizabeth Bridge'

24 November 2023: The brand new 70m "Elizabeth Bridge" has been officially opened by Hon. Charles Fane Trefusis and Mark Rice, Environment Agency Area Director, marking a significant milestone for the project.

Click here to read more.

Latest updates

Q&A

Answers to the most frequently asked questions about the project are available here.

Environment

Environmental Statement
To see the Lower Otter Restoration Project Environmental Statement, click here.

Planning application - Timetable

Phase

Estimated dates

Budleigh Salterton Cricket club works commence (part of a separate planning application)

Spring 2021

Stage one vegetation clearance

Jan 2021 – Feb 2021

Stage two vegetation clearance and
Construction phase mobilisation

May – Jun 2021

Construction phase:

 Tidal creek excavations

 General earthworks

 Highway bridge foundation works

 Footbridge foundation works

 Big Bank breach works

 New South Farm Road highway embankment earthworks formed

Footpath raising works

Jul – Oct 2021

 New South Farm Road highway embankment monitored for settlement over nine month period

 Footbridge deck installed

 Highway bridge deck and features installed

 Small culvert structures installed

 Service diversions

The estuary sewer pipe diversion works may commence early 2022 (separate to this planning application)

Nov 2021 – Jul 2022

 New South Farm Road highway embankment completes; surfacing and features installed

 New highway ties into existing road network

Existing Cricket club removal begins

Aug – Oct 2022

 Final creeks excavated.

 Existing South Farm Road surface removed

Improvements to existing footpath embankments

Nov – Dec 2022

 Little Bank breach works

 New Budleigh Brook channel connected; existing aqueduct removed

 Main Southern breach works

 High tide bird islands formed

 Landfill area cover finalised

 Final landscaping features installed

Jan – Oct 2023

Construction phase demobilisation

Nov 2023

Next - Planning application Environmental Statement