The Blyth estuary is an important area for those who live and work there. It
has ecological and landscape importance, and associated social and amenity
value for the local community and tourists alike. It will be critical for the
development of any flood management strategy to consider these varied interests
and to try and reach a balance between them within the constraints of national
policy and legislation.
The Blyth estuary is a valuable resource for nature conservation, with parts of
the estuary designated under European and National legislation:
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the corresponding environmentally protected areas.
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statement
Parts of the Blyth estuary (including Tinkers Marshes and the Hen reedbeds) are
contained within the Minsmere to Walberswick Special Protection Area [SPA] and
Ramsar Site. This is an internationally important site for birds including
bittern, marsh harrier, hen harrier, avocet, gadwall, shoveler, teal and
European white-fronted goose. The Minsmere to Walberswick Heaths and Marshes
Site of Special Scientific Interest [SSSI] covers the same area as the SPA and,
additionally, Southwold Town Marshes. The saltmarsh, grazing marshes, reedbeds
and mudflats of the SSSI support a wide variety of wildfowl and waders together
with important aquatic plant communities and rare invertebrates.
Any flood management options within or adjacent to these sites of high
conservation and landscape value have the potential to adversely affect the
features of interest, or conversely, provide opportunities for enhancement.
We have undertaken a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of our draft strategy. The Non Technical Summary of our SEA Environmental report and the full Environmental Report are available here.
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