creating the right environment for economic...

Investing in Natural CapitalCreating the right environment

for economic investment

June 2017

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Industry and nature in harmony in one of Europe’s great estuaries

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Picture: Flying Knot


Executive Summary .......................................................................................... 4

1 Introducing natural capital ............................................................... 6

2 The economic value of the Humber’s natural capital .................... 7 Theme 1 - Flood risk management: Protecting life and .................. 9 property through investment in natural capital Theme 2 - Ports and Shipping: The role of Spurn National ..........10 Nature Reserve in protecting the shipping lanes of the Humber Theme 3 - Health and wellbeing: The value of the natural ........... 11 environment to human health Theme 4 - Property values: The critical role of the natural ...........11 environment in supporting property asset values Theme 5 - Nature Tourism: Building the nature tourism ...............12 economy Theme 6 - Towards a low carbon future: Carbon storage in ........13 the Humber estuary

3 A natural capital vision for the Humber ........................................ 14

4 Achieving industry and nature in harmony .................................. 17 4.1 Investing in natural capital alongside economic ................... 17 development 4.2 Investing in natural capital alongside flood risk .................... 18 management 4.3 Investing in natural capital alongside developing the ........... 20 tourist economy 4.4 Investing in natural capital alongside access and ................. 22 soft transport

5 About Humber Nature Partnership ................................................ 23

Port of Hull cover image courtesy of ABP/Karl Andre Photograpy

Contents

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Executive SummaryThe waters of the Humber Estuarycreate a dynamic landscape. Itsattraction lies in a constantlychanging appearance and mooddue to the tide, changing coastalweather and human activity. Thehinterlands of the estuary have arich cultural heritage and a senseof remoteness and peace close tomajor urban areas that have grownaround the Estuary. Wildlife ofinternational importance, naturereserves, country parks and majorvisitor attractions are significantdestinations and sites of particularinterest for visitors. The estuary is a unifying presence: a specialresource for access and enjoymentand has a significant potentialvalue to the area, to the wellbeingand health of the people who live in and around the estuary, forrecreation and critically as thebedrock of the local economybased on its ports, industry,agriculture and settlements.

The flat lands of much of theestuary hinterland are perfect fordevelopment, however, as withmany other low lying areas of thecountry, they are prone to flooding.Events such as those of the 5thDecember 2013 have shown thatwe simply can’t afford to build ourway out of the predicament.

Capital investment andmaintenance costs make theprospect of an impregnable floodbarrier for the whole estuaryuneconomic. Working with theenvironment can alleviate some ofthese costs. For example by takingadvantage of the coastal habitatswhich reduce wave energy allowingsmaller, cheaper defences. We haveto tackle climate change andworking with the environment willhelp us to achieve this at least cost.

The Humber ports, together someof the most important tradinginfrastructure in the UK were notlocated here by luck. They aretaking advantage of the uniquetopographical environment of theestuary. The estuary’s shape offerscalm waters and safe haven. Spurnpeninsula protects the estuaryfrom the worst of the North Seastorms. It ensures the deep waterchannel, so vital to the ports, ismaintained only by moderatedredging. We shouldn’t take theseassets for granted.

Whilst jobs and prosperity are apriority, a happy, healthy workforce is also a huge investmentdraw. Access to green space, tofresh air and to wild places isproven to lift the spirits and offer

great opportunities for exercise andrecreation. A first classenvironment will help to attractand hold on to first classentrepreneurs, improve propertyvalues and attract a healthy andwilling work force.

The internationally importanthabitats and the hundreds ofthousands of birds and other wildcreatures that depend on them arean economic asset in their ownright. Nature tourism is one of thefastest growing sectors in the UK.Locally, it is worth about £9 milliona year, benefitting some of thehardest to reach sections of ourcommunities, but this income couldreadily be doubled with the rightinvestment.

This document illustrates whyinvestment in natural capital is acritical part of any attempt toimprove the prosperity and qualityof life of the Humber’s communitiesand also to meet the challenges ofclimate change. It sets out a seriesof themes where natural capitalcurrently supports the Humber’seconomy and highlightsopportunities where natural capitalcan be enhanced to ensure thefuture economic potential of theHumber.

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In order to secure this futurepotential Humber NaturePartnership calls on strategists,planners and decisions makerswith the ability to deliver changearound the Humber to worktogether to:

1 Create a single inclusive, all-encompassing vision for theHumber which addresses theneeds for• Sustainable economic growth• Social well-being and community cohesion• Well-managed natural capital

2 Rebuild the image of the Humberas a 21st century landscape,where fully integrated, multi-purpose planning provides thebest environmental settings andthe right skills and services toattract high quality investment.

3 Invest directly in natural capitalprojects to maximise the valueof these overlooked resources tothe economic prosperity of theregion and for the benefit of all.

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Curlew


1. Introducing Natural CapitalNatural capital is defined by the Government’s NaturalCapital Committee1 as:

“Those elements of nature which eitherdirectly provide benefits or underpinhuman wellbeing."

The term natural capital therefore embraces the moreimmediately obvious assets associated with land(such as woodlands, fields and urban parks), thewater environment (for example, rivers, lakes,groundwater and seas) and the atmosphere (forexample, clean air and an equable climate). However,natural capital also includes the myriad processeswhich underpin and generate the services which thenatural environment provides (for example, the watercycle, soil fertility processes and atmospheric gasexchange). Therefore, natural capital comprises, quiteliterally, a wealth of component parts; parts whosesum underpins not only all economic activity but lifeon earth itself.

If properly measured and managed, the living aspectsof natural capital, at least, can continue to providethese (ecosystem) services and benefits indefinitely.Whilst some of the benefits can be measured and areclear to see (for example, timber has a market price),others are difficult to quantify and are often invisiblein our day to day lives. This often results in naturalcapital not being properly accounted for in decisionsabout what to produce and consume; the risk beingthat we fail to manage it sustainably. In many cases,we are only just beginning to gain the level ofunderstanding necessary to measure the enormouseconomic value of our natural capital.

Natural capital underpins our economy in exactly thesame way that financial and human capital is requiredto enable economic activity. Increasingly, economistsare beginning to understand the value of naturalcapital in sustaining prosperous economies, while alsounderstanding the risks of degrading natural capital.For example, Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank ofEngland2, noted that the insurance costs for extremeweather events had already increased five-fold sincethe1980s and these are now factored into insurancepremiums. In 2011 the Government committed toworking with Office for National Statistics toincorporate natural capital into the UK EnvironmentalAccounts by 2020 so that the benefits of nature wouldbe better recognised3.

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1 Natural Capital Committee (2013) The State of Natural Capital. HM Government.2 www.bankofengland.co.uk/publications/Pages/speeches/2015/844.aspx3 The Natural Choice: securing the value of nature. HM Government White Paper (2011)


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2. The economic value of the Humber’snatural capitalThe Humber is an extraordinary region – one that isstill teeming with wildlife yet also has the potential topower the economy of the Northern Powerhouse. Thatthe region is exceptionally vulnerable to floodingserves to emphasise the importance of sustaining thenatural flood defence function of the natural system.Natural capital sustains primary production as well asfundamentally important parts of the economy suchas property asset values, tourism and shipping.

The Humber Strategic Economic Plan sets out how theHumber Energy Estuary can help Britain meet itsclimate change targets, through the development ofthe renewable energy industry and recognises theimportance of the Humber’s natural systems insupporting the area’s future prosperity.

The natural capital of the Humber region should not be seen as something to ‘balance off against’ or constrain economic growth, rather that it isessential to economic growth through, for example, a healthier and more productive workforce enjoyinggood access to greenspace, to promote inwardinvestment, or through the judicious deployment oflegislation that helps to ensure development is sitedappropriately and the natural capital of the estuary isnot diminished. Economic strategies for the Humbermust therefore recognise the fundamental importanceof the Humber’s natural capital and facilitateinvestment in that natural capital or risk failing tosecure the Humber’s huge future economic potential.

Little ringed plover

Humber Strategic Economic Plan“The Humber has a rich ecosystem. Green and blueinfrastructure should be promoted to support widereconomic development objectives. This includes therole of green and blue infrastructure in providingtourism assets, enhancing land and property valuesand supporting job creation and health and well-being. Through properly considered environmentalassessment, the introduction of flood alleviationschemes can both be designed to increasebiodiversity through careful management of theland and intertidal areas. Inland flood measures canimprove water quality and associated biodiversity.Sustainable drainage design can recharge our waterresources reducing production and transportationcosts of this precious resource”.p88, Humber Strategic Economic Plan (2014)

Port of Hull - ABP/Karl Andre


Humber Nature Partnership

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Redshank

Protecting the Estuary AssetThe Habitats Regulations are thecornerstones of the UK’sbiodiversity policy for theconservation and sustainabledevelopment of the ‘Natura 2000’network of Special Areas ofConservation (habitats – SACs)and Special Protection Areas (forbirds – SPAs). The HabitatsRegulations give us a policygrounding to help protect the mostprecious natural sites and rarespecies, provide a level playingfield for business and are part ofupholding better environmentalstandards.

The Regulations do not aim toexclude socio-economic activitybut to ensure sustainabledevelopment – development thatdoes not compromise the needs offuture generations. The regulatorysystems that underpin theprotection of these sites are set upto enable a logical, transparentand evidence-based step-by-stepprocess to ensure sustainabledevelopment. Developers can see aclear audit trail and be assuredthat decisions have not been takenarbitrarily but on the basis ofscientific evidence. Reviews of theRegulations show that they are, in

the main, working well, but morecan be done to ensure theprotections of sites and species.Recommendations to streamlinesome processes have been put intoplace on the Humber.

It is critical that we understand therole of natural capital in sustainingthe prosperity of the Humberregion especially given itssensitivity to flooding. The value ofnatural capital to the Humber’seconomy and ultimately to thehealth, well-being and prosperityof the region can be divided into sixmain themes.

KINGSTON UPON HULL

BARTON UPON HUMBER

GRIMSBY & CLEETHORPES

GOOLE

The Humber Estuary European Marine Site

The Humber Estuary European Marine Site

The Humber Estuary is recognised as one ofthe most important estuaries in Europe forwildlife and is designated as a European Marine Site.


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4 Möller,I; Kudella, M; Rupprecht, F; Spencer, T; Paul, M; van Wesenbeeck, B.K; Wolters, G; Jensen, K; Bouma, T.J.;Miranda-Lange, M; Schimmels (2014) Wave attenuation overcoastal salt marshes under storm surge conditions, Nature Geoscience, 7, 727–731

5 Everard, Mark (2009) Ecosystem services case studies: Better regulation science programme. In house Environment Agency Study

Theme 1Flood risk management:Protecting life and propertythrough investment in naturalcapital

The Humber’s saltmarsh habitat isone of the Estuary’s protectedfeatures, under the auspices of theHabitats and Birds Directives.There are 630 hectares ofsaltmarsh on the Humber,accounting for 2% of estuarinearea, compared to a nationalaverage of 6%. Saltmarsh,mudflats and other intertidalhabitats are natural flooddefences. They act as buffers,offering protection to ourcoastlines by absorbing waveenergy. Recent research shows that saltmarsh is very effective atreducing the impact of severefloods, when waves and waterlevels are highest4. Protecting,enhancing and creating thisintertidal habitat, and allowing it to adapt is a priority. Managed realignment sites likeAlkborough Flats and Donna Nook are a response to thispriority, and form part of theoverall strategy for managing therisks to communities from tidalflooding.

The UK Natural EcosystemsAssessment (2011) sets out theimportance of saltmarsh forprotecting economic assets fromthe impact of tidal flooding.

“Under average tidal inundationdepths, up to 50% of wave energyis dissipated in the first 10 – 20mof a vegetated saltmarsh surfacewhile an 80m strip can reduce theheight of a seawall needed for

landward defences from 12m toonly 3m (resulting)...in capital costsavings of £2,600 – £4,600 permetre of seawall (1994 prices).More recent Environment Agencyguideline average costs of buildingseawalls are £1,522 per metre(Environment Agency 2007);scaling this figure by coastlinelength of saltmarsh, rather thanarea, gives a capital cost saving of£2.17 billion on sea defence forEngland.”

Alkborough Flats managedrealignment site was conceived as part of the Humber Flood RiskManagement Strategy as anopportunity to maintaininternationally important wildlifeassets and deliver tidal floodstorage. It was built in 2004-5 and opened in 2006, costing£10.2m. The site is 440ha ofwhich 170ha are regularlyinundated and the site as a wholeis designed to fill occasionally forflood storage purposes. It provides:

• A very large flood storage areaand volume, which helps deferdefence improvements, andreduces the impacts of floodingin this part of the Humber

• Improved access to quality environments

• Benefits for the community and local businesses

• A diverse range of habitats. Fifty different species of birdsand huge overall numbers havebeen recorded using the site.Alkborough Flats also providesa valuable fish nursery area.

Modelling shows that AlkboroughFlats significantly reduced theimpacts of the December 2013tidal flood reducing the floodvolume by about 7% andEnvironment Agency work toassess the broader servicesprovided by the Alkborough Flatsscheme estimates that it yields anenhanced benefit to cost ratio of3.22, based on a very conservativevaluation5.

Humber Flood Risk Management Strategy flood cells -Environment Agency



Theme 2Ports and Shipping: The role ofSpurn National Nature Reserve inprotecting the shipping lanes ofthe Humber

An essential part of the Humberport infrastructure is the naturalprocesses which take place to formthe network of deep-waterchannels that allow the movementof commercial shipping. The spit atSpurn acts as a naturalbreakwater for the estuary, withoutwhich the essential deepwaterchannels would silt up. Losing the

Humber deep-water channelswould be catastrophic to the UKand Humber economy.

As an island, Britain is dependenton its ports and their associatedsupply chains to maintain ourquality of life and economicwellbeing. 95% of all of the UK’simports flow through the UK'sports. Associated British Ports(ABP) is the UK’s largest portoperator handling about a quarterof the UK’s seaborne trade throughits 21 ports. Of these, the Humber(serviced by four main ports atGrimsby, Immingham, Hull and

Goole) is the UK’s busiest tradingestuary, with around 30,000commercial shipping movementsevery year, representing some 17%of the UK’s seaborne trade. Thistrade contributes about £2.2billion to the UK economy everyyear, including £1.5 billion to theHumber region, supporting ca.23,000 jobs in the region and anca. 33,000 jobs nationally. Forexample, fuel brought in throughHull and Immingham suppliesabout 10% of the UK’s energyneeds, whilst Immingham isresponsible for about 28% of theUK’s oil refining capacity.

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Redshank

Spurn National Nature Reserve – George Stoyle


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6 Natural Capital Committee (2015) Third Assessment of Natural Capital. HM Government7 www.mappiness.org.uk8 DEFRA (2010) Air Pollution in a Changing Climate. HM Government

Theme 3Health and wellbeing: The value ofthe natural environment to humanhealth

The economic and social costs ofmental illness in England areestimated at £105.2 billion for theyear 2009/2010. There is muchevidence that people with betteraccess to the natural environmenttend to be happier and less proneto mental illness. Reduced healthtreatment costs alone of £2.1billion have been estimated6.Separate to cost reductions withinthe NHS (predictions of which areunstable in the current politicaland economic climate) we knowthat interaction with the naturalworld has personal and

community benefit. People arethought to feel the benefitsthrough exposure to nature, byproviding space for social contactand providing places for physicalactivity.

People who live within 500m ofaccessible green space are 24 percent more likely to meetrecommended levels of physicalactivity. Reducing the sedentarypopulation by just 1 per cent wouldreduce morbidity and mortalityrates valued at £1.44 billion for theUK as a whole. The quality ofgreenspace has been shown to beimportant for mental health andthe Mappiness project7 found thatpeople were most happy in coastaland marine areas compared tourban areas. The natural

environment provides benefits forour health through better airquality, temperature regulation,cleaner water and reduced risk offlooding. For example, air pollutionreduces the average lifeexpectancy by 6 months perperson – a loss valued at £16.4million per year8. It is estimatedthat urban air-quality causes40,000 premature deaths a yearand reduces productivity, whichtogether costs the economy atleast £20 billion per annum6. Italso has a significant negativeimpact on life prospects forchildren, e.g. by loweringeducational achievement⁷.Vegetation, trees and greeninfrastructure also reduce airpollution particularly in urbanareas.

Theme 4Property values: The critical role of the natural environment insupporting property asset values

There is an increasing recognitionthat productivity (in terms of staffrecruitment and retention, workeroutput, loyalty, reduced sickness

etc.) of staff are boosted bynatural elements - plants, fresh airand an attractive outlook; highvalue offices need to be functionaland attractive. A logical step is toset offices in a natural setting,setting them apart fromconventional city centre andbusiness park spaces and makingthem more desirable to potential

occupiers. For example, Wykelandhas witin its portfolio a wide rangeof commercial buildings and hasfound that those such asBridgehead which are set in moreattractive environments generallyattract higher rental values thanequivalent offices in less attractiveareas.



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3 Möller,I; Kudella, M; Rupprecht, F; Spencer, T; Paul, M; van Wesenbeeck, B.K; Wolters, G; Jensen, K; Bouma, T.J.;Miranda-Lange, M; Schimmels (2014) Wave attenuation overcoastal salt marshes under storm surge conditions, Nature Geoscience, 7, 727–731

4 Everard, Mark (2009) Ecosystem services case studies: Better regulation science programme. In house Environment Agency Study

Theme 5Nature Tourism: Building thenature tourism economy

Tourism is one of Britain’s biggestindustries and is a critical part of the local economy. Indeed, onthe relatively disadvantagedcoastal part of East Yorkshire,tourism is the bedrock of the local economy. A study by LeedsBeckett University showed thatwildlife tourism adds £9 million per year into the East Yorkshireeconomy, supporting about 170 jobs.

Nature tourism or wildlife tourisminvolves people travelling to anarea to take part in outdoor

activities such as birdwatching,whale watching, boat trips,photography, walks and/or cyclingto learn about and experiencewildlife. These visitors are oftenkeen to support the environmentand wildlife too, seeking out ‘eco-friendly’ places to stay or visit, orlocations to enjoy locally sourcedfood.

The North Bank of the Humber is a good example where EastYorkshire has a rich wildlifeheritage with some spectacularsites. Sites that are specificallymanaged for their wildlife include:Bempton Cliffs (RSPB), BlacktoftSands (RSPB), Flamborough Cliffs(YWT), North Cave Wetlands(YWT), Spurn Point (YWT) and

Tophill Low (Yorkshire Water)amongst many others.

A useful benchmark is NorthNorfolk, where the nature tourismeconomy is worth £60 million peryear, despite that area beingsmaller. The difference is thatNorth Norfolk had the very firstnature reserves in Britain and nowhas a series of sites with excellentvisitor facilities. The Leeds BeckettUniversity study suggests that evenwith limited investment in sitessuch as Flamborough and Spurn,the economic value of naturetourism can be rapidly increased to £30 million per year, supportingover 500 jobs – highly significantgiven relative disadvantage alongthe coast.

Alkborough Flats – Joanna Richards


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9 McLeod E, Chmura GL, Bouillon S, Salm R, Bjork M, et al. (2011) A blueprint for blue carbon: toward an improved understanding of the role of vegetated coastal habitats insequestering CO2. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 9: 552–560.

10Andrews, J. E., Samways, G., Dennis, P. F. and Maher, B. A., 2000. Origin, abundance and storage of organic carbon and sulphur in the Holocene Humber Estuary: emphasisinghuman impact on storage changes. In Shennan, I. and J. Andrews, J. (Eds), Holocene Land-Ocean Interaction and Environmental Change around the North Sea. GeologicalSociety Publishing House, Bath, UK. Geol. Soc. Spec. Publ. 166: 145-170

11www.ccsassociation.org/why-ccs/affordability

Theme 6Towards a low carbon future:Carbon storage in the Humberestuary

Our climate is already changingand the Humber StrategicEconomic Plan identifies thecritical role of the Humber region inmanaging this threat through thede-carbonisation of the Britisheconomy. The Humber is wellplaced to become the ‘energyestuary’ of Britain, supplying lowcarbon renewable power to sustainthe UK’s energy demand. Thechallenge of climate change is, ofcourse, considerable. As well asmitigating the causes of climatechange, i.e. reducing greenhousegas emissions, society needs toadapt to its impacts. Managingflooding requires sustainedinvestment in both natural andhard flood defences. There is aclear recognition of the economic,social and health impacts thatflooding has had in the area andthe Humber LEP has clearstrategies set out in the StrategicEconomic Plan and EuropeanStructural Investment Plan.

We also need to enable naturalsystems to reduce greenhousegases that are now polluting theatmosphere by sequesteringcarbon into long-term stores. Themost important of those systemsare our seas and our soils,especially peat soils that are stillextant in the Lower River Hullvalley for example. One of the moreimportant natural carbonsequestering systems in theHumber region is the estuary itself.

Coastal and marine ecosystemsplay a particularly valuable role inthe capture and storage ofatmospheric carbon dioxide CO2.Termed blue carbon, vegetatedcoastal ecosystems such asseagrass beds, salt marshes andmangrove forests contribute muchgreater to long-term carbonstorage per unit area of habitatthan terrestrial forests9. In part,this is due to the ability of marineand tidal habitats to trapsuspended matter and associatedorganic carbon during tidal cycles.

A rough calculation of theecosystem service benefit of thisaccumulation can be providedusing the following approach:

• Long-term steady stateaccumulation of sediment overthe Humber intertidal andsubtidal mudflats tracks meansea level rise at about 1mm peryear10

• Using the known averageconcentrations of particulatecarbon (C), nitrogen (N) and net particle reactivephosphorous (P, i.e. in excess of natural background sediment P) in Humber mudflatsediments, then about 2,400t of organic C (Corg), 216t oforganic N (Norg) and 144t ofparticle reactive P are buried in Humber sediments annually.

• The thickness of Holoceneintertidal sediment in theHumber averages about 2 metres (EA).

• Assuming an accumulation rate of 1mm per yearthroughout the Holocene (2400t organic C per mm) then: 2400t C x 2,000 (mm) = 4.8 milliontonnes have accumulated in the Humber’s sediments.

• Using an estimate of £60 tocapture and store a tonne ofcarbon11, the equivalent cost of capturing and storing 4.8million tonnes of carbon is £288 million.


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3. A natural capital vision for the Humber

This map shows examples of partnership activity andopportunity into a single coherent package – a visionfor the Humber where its natural capital is valued andinvestment targeted such that we build the stock ofnatural capital alongside its human and financialcapital.

This is our vision, a vision in which the HumberEstuary’s natural environment will be richer inecological diversity and more able to adapt to thepressures placed upon it than it is today, bringingbenefits for wildlife, business and local people.

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Greylags

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1 Goole Hinterland: opportunities for habitat creationand green infrastructure enhancement through thedevelopment of upper estuary flood defences to linkthe Goole townscape back to the River Ouse frontage.

2 Greater Blacktoft: opportunities to expand wildlifehabitat linked to Blacktoft nature Reserve throughCountryside Stewardship, water storage for irrigationand flood prevention measures.

3 Alkborough Flats: opportunities to improve thevisitor facilities at Alkborough Wetlands linked tofurther habitat improvements/ creation to develop thewider tourism economy of the North LincolnshireHumber frontage.

4 North Cave Wetlands: through gravel extraction,countryside stewardship and green infrastructureinstallation linked to new developments, provide agreenspace link between the Wetlands and the estuary.

5 Broomfleet: enhancement of wetlands created fromold clay pits developing a green infrastructure networkof accessible habitat and improving habitat for rarebreeding wetland birds such as bittern.

6 Read’s Island area: create new habitat along theestuary close to Read’s Island to expand habitat forrare breeding birds.

7 Brough: development of green infrastructure linkedto the redevelopment of Brough Airfield to createpublic greenspace between Brough and North Ferriby.

8 Ancholme Valley: potential for large scale wetlandrestoration integrated with flood risk managementand eco-tourism.

9 Humber Bridge:multi-functional greeninfrastructure focussed on access and habitatcreation/enhancement, centred on the Barton Clay pits and Humber Bridge Country Parks.

10 Goxhill: potential new managed realignment site at East Marsh.

11 Hull Waterfront: green infrastructure improvementsalong the Humber Trans-Pennine Trail linking theHumber Bridge Country Park to Alexandra Dock vianaturalistic and urban greenspace development.

12 Hull Green Arc: linkage of Noddle Hill and LoglandsLocal Nature Reserves via major flood prevention andwater storage scheme.

13 Paull-Cherry Cobb-Sunk Island: opportunities forlarge scale habitat creation through managedrealignment and habitat compensation schemes.

14 South Humber Gateway: an area where a worldclass economy can prosper alongside a world classenvironment.

15 Skeffling-Welwick: opportunity to create newhabitat to link Welwick nature reserves to Spurn viahabitat loss compensation programmes, managedrealignment and linked into the development of eco-tourism in Holderness.

16 Spurn National Nature Reserve: major opportunityto develop Spurn NNR as the centrepiece of eco-tourism in Holderness, through visitor facilitiesdevelopment, habitat extension and enhancement.

17 Cleethorpes to Donna Nook: clear opportunity todevelop the area for ecotourism extending the seasideresort visitor offer of Cleethorpes through new visitor facilities and habitat creation/enhancement, partly linked to habitat loss compensation programmes via managed realignment.


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4. Achieving industry and nature inharmonyHumber Nature Partnership’sambition is “Industry and nature inharmony in one of Europe’s greatestuaries”. This section sets outhow, by working in partnership torealise some of the aboveopportunities we can achieve thatambition.

4.1 Investing in natural capitalalongside economic developmentThe development of the Humber asBritain’s sustainable energyestuary is a critical part of the UK’splan to reduce the impacts ofcatastrophic climate change. Suchdevelopment has to be takenforward in a way that does notdamage the existing naturalcapital of the Humber.Developments such as Green PortHull and strategies such as theSouth Humber Gateway MitigationStrategy provide real worldexamples of how this can beachieved.

Green Port Hull Green port Hull is a new facility atAlexandra Dock in Hull which willproduce and export marine windturbines. The development involvesmodifications to the existingenclosed dock plus a new solidquay built into the estuary. Keyissues have included impacts onthe habitats and species of theHumber Estuary designated site.Intensive discussions pre and postsubmission has enabled a packageof mitigation and compensationmeasures to be agreed. This hastaken time and careful

consideration but, with theHabitats Regulations setting outthe parameters for the variousdecisions, the development hasbeen given permission to progresswithin a Natura 2000 site, eventhough it will cause damage.

Compensation was thereforedelivered in advance of thedevelopment. The package ofmeasures agreed to offset thedamage includes 10.5 ha ofestuary habitat creation atAlkborough Flats and Chowder

Ness managed realignment site,and a roosting structure to replacethe old wooden jetty previouslyused by large numbers ofturnstone. Habitat creationconserves displacedinternationally important bird populations and has providedbetter recreational space forvisitors and contributes to floodalleviation along the Humber.


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Redshank – Tom MarshallSouth Humber GatewayMitigation Strategy The South Humber Gateway islocated on the south bank of theHumber estuary in northernLincolnshire. Covering an area ofapproximately 1,000 hectares itrepresents one of the largestpotential development areas in theUK. In recent years there has beensignificant development interest inthe area particularly from theemerging renewable energyindustry on the Humber.

The area is immediately adjacentto the Humber Estuary which isrecognised for its importance forwildlife at both national andinternational levels throughvarious designations. As such,great care is required whenundertaking works which mayresult in negative impacts on thewildlife interest features of theEstuary. A potential conflicttherefore exists between the needto develop the South HumberGateway’s economic potential forthe benefit of the nationaleconomy and the legal obligationto ensure that its wildlife isprotected. By working inpartnership it has been possible todevelop a strategic approach tothe issue of providing the requiredecological mitigation fordevelopments taking place in thearea. This approach is beingembedded within strategicplanning documents for North andNorth East Lincolnshire.

Once the strategy is fullyimplemented it will help to ensure asmoother route to development forbusinesses on the South HumberBank alongside the provision ofhigh quality habitat required by

wading birds in the area. HumberNature Partnership believes thatthis will be the first time that sucha scheme has been successfullyestablished at this scale nationally.

The Hull and Humber City Deal,signed by the Humber LocalEnterprise Partnership, has anaspiration to maximiseopportunities linked to theinvestment in energy generationand other sectors. Good qualityenvironmental data isfundamental to realising theseaspirations particularly in relationto the development of a HumberHabitat Compensation andMitigation Plan to help acceleratesustainable development. This canbuild on an existing approach setout in the South Humber GatewayMitigation Strategy.

4.2 Investing in natural capitalalongside flood risk managementGreen infrastructure (GI)composes a set of greenspacenetworks that together providemultiple services to underpinpeople’s quality of life andeconomic prosperity. Such servicesinclude: storm water management,climate adaptation, less heatstress, more biodiversity, foodproduction, better air quality,sustainable energy production,clean water and healthy soils, aswell as increased quality of lifethrough recreation and providingshade and shelter in and aroundtowns and cities.

Investing in GI is a necessaryprerequisite for economicprosperity, particularly given thefragility of the Humber region toflooding.

Two examples are given thatrequire sustained investment toachieve – natural flood storageand enhancing the estuaryfrontage to promote the setting forinvestment and increase propertyvalues

Lapwings

The importance of good dataSustainable developmentrequires good ecological data.Some of this data has beenprovided by the Humber NaturePartnership through the ‘SouthHumber Gateway EcologicalStudy’ that surveyed the SouthBank to provide detailedecological data to underpin, forexample, the environmentalimpact assessments required formajor infrastructure proposals.Other data is held by the Northand East Yorkshire EcologicalData Centre and LincolnshireEnvironmental Records Centreand is routinely used forindividual planning applications;providing a service fordevelopers and facilitatinggrowth.


Natural flood defence andmitigation The Humber Flood RiskManagement Strategy (2008)identifies potential areas for flood storage to be developed inthe medium term. The EnvironmentAgency is working with theUniversity of Hull as part of the Dynamic Humber project to better understand the Estuary and the interaction with floodmanagement. This includesevidence that will help ensure flood storage around the Estuary is in the most effectivelocation. This evidence will inform the Strategy update and the Environment Agency will continue to investigate options with partners including

any communities potentiallyaffected.

Given a reduction in storm wavesheight across flooded salt-marshand mud flat, it clearly makessense to increase the area of saltmarsh and mud flat whenreplacing flood defencewalls/embankments by movingthose banks inland (managedrealignment). This both resolvesissues of ‘coastal squeeze’ (the loss of salt marsh and mud flatbetween a rising sea-level andhard flood defence) and providesimproved nature tourism potential.

Enhancing the Estuary Frontage There are significant opportunitiesfor the Estuary frontage to be

redeveloped in ways that delivereconomic, social and environmentalobjectives, efficiently. The HumberEstuary Landscape and GreenInfrastructure Study exploresideas and partnerships that willtackle flood risk management andimprove the water environment increative, multidisciplinary ways. It is an aspirational study thatprovides examples of how conceptdesigns might work in differentsettings around the estuary basedon information and ideas sharedby partners.

In each case the focus is on theinter-dependence of GI projectsand the scope for partnershipworking to deliver investment onan ambitious scale.

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Exemplar opportunities to improve green infrastructure alongside flood defence improvements at Hull -Environment Agency/Sheils Flynn


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Caption4.3 Investing in natural capitalalongside developing the touristeconomyA well developed and managednature tourism offer is animportant component ofdeveloping economic prosperity in the Humber region. Whilst theoverall contribution to economicactivity is always likely to berelatively small in comparison tothe role of shipping,manufacturing and energy forexample, its local contribution canbe much more significant as thevisitor economy is composed ofmany hundreds of micro-businessthat sustain very local economies.Local micro-business enableinvestment to recirculate locally,creating more resilient localeconomies. For the Humber, naturetourism investment could unlock

economic prosperity in some of the most isolated communitiesthat have relatively high levels ofeconomic disadvantage such asHolderness or Grimsby.

Moreover, such investment hasdeeper ramifications in terms ofbuilding the Humber’s overallquality of life by providing highprofile nature destinations to visit,enhancing investor’s perceptionsof the Humber as a high qualitydestination and place forinvestment. Further, by enhancingrecreational accessibility throughgreen infrastructure investment,nature tourism investment andinvestment in soft transportsolutions (walking and cycling),very significant health benefits canbe realised. The following examplesillustrate such benefits.

Spurn National Nature Reserve Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s SpurnNational Nature Reserve is anextraordinary place – a sweepingarc of sand stretching off the SEcorner of Yorkshire across themouth of the Humber. It is SpecialProtection Area, a Special Area ofConservation, a Site of SpecialScientific Interest, a GeologicalConservation Review Site, aRamsar site and has listedbuildings. People visit Spurn for itswild beauty, its wildlife, for a dayon the beach, to watch ships, forangling and bait digging, toexamine its rich history or simplyto reach the ‘end of Yorkshire’. Atone time, Spurn was visited byabout ca. 70,000 visitors per yearthough in recent years, thisdropped to ca. 40,000 visitors.

The proposed visitor centre will...


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In December 2013, the stormsurge destroyed the road acrossthe narrowest point of the spit.Access is now by 4-wheel driveonly and visitors can only accessthe site by walking, cycling ortaking YWT’s 4WD Unimog ‘SpurnSafari’. Whilst visitor numbershave dropped to about 20,000 peryear, they are now concentrated atthe entrance to the site.

Increasingly, YWT are struggling tomanage the site effectively givenvery few visitor facilities. YWT havetherefore proposed, in partnershipwith E.ON who are providing thefunds, to build a new visitor centreat Spurn that will provide goodvisitor facilities (café, shop,education facilities, toilets, propercar-parking). This will enable thecharity to manage the site suchthat visitors have a safe, informedand enjoyable visit and cruciallydo not accidentally damage thefragile environment they havecome to visit.

There are also opportunities to linkambitions to other proposedprojects, like Skeffling managedrealignment, to ensure integratedproposals develop efficiently fromthe outset.

Donna Nook-Tetney Marshes An example of the value andpotential of nature tourism on thesouth Humber bank is provided atDonna Nook National NatureReserve, near Saltfleet, which ismanaged by Lincolnshire WildlifeTrust in partnership with Ministryof Defence. The British populationof grey seals is of greatinternational importance and weare fortunate to have a thrivingcolony on the Lincolnshire coast.

Britain has about 40% of the worldpopulation of grey seals. EveryNovember and December, the sealsgive birth to their pups near thesand dunes: a wildlife spectaclewhich attracts 60,000 visitorsfrom across the UK and Europe.The contribution to the localeconomy is estimated at £1mannually. Local schools bring1,300 pupils on educational visitseach year.

Adjacent to Donna Nook is RSPB’sTetney Marshes Reserve coveringover 1,500 ha of mudflat,saltmarsh, dunes and lagoonsbetween Cleethorpes and DonnaNook which support up to 50,000wintering and passage waterbirdswith the saltmarsh holdingimportant populations of breedingbirds. The lagoon habitats supportthe rare lagoon sand shrimp, whichoccurs here at its northernmost sitein the UK.

As a result of this ecologicalinterest, coupled with the site’s size

and remoteness, Tetney Marshes is not currently capable ofaccommodating lots of visitors.Inland of the seawall from TetneyMarshes, there are extensive areasof agricultural land, which alsosupport significant numbers ofwintering birds alongside anexisting network of public rights of way that provide a certain levelof public access.

If sensitively developed the areacould support an enhancedecotourism and nature watchingexperience. This would build on theexisting high tourism profile ofCleethorpes, spreading economicbenefits through the year and tolocal communities in a mannersensitive to the areas’ rural nature.This would involve raising theprofile of the area’s wildlife whileputting in place the necessaryinfrastructure to both manage theexisting pressures facing the areaand provide new opportunities forwildlife and people.

Grey seal pup - Adrian and Hilary Middleton


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Caption4.4 Investing in natural capitalalongside access and softtransportThe Humber has a number of long-distance walking and cyclingroutes – the Wolds Way, theTranspennine Trail, the Viking Wayand the proposed Trent Valley Way.The planned England Coastal Pathwill become one of the world’slongest walking routes. Sections of the route that are already inplace demonstrate clear economicbenefits. The south-west part ofthe path has been shown togenerate £300 million per year tothe south-west economy (about£470k per mile11). The Wolds Way,though mainly used by localoneday walkers, already supportsa visitor spend of about £100k -400k along the route12.

Likewise, there are clear benefits tolocal economies from walking andcycling for commuting, in terms ofbetter health and reduced trafficcongestion, yet commuting by car

has increased in the four Humberauthorities since 200113. There aremany templates available todevelop well-designed andeffective walking/cycling routes,integrating the routes together andpromoting their use. This potentialto improve access and encouragemore people to explore the Humbermust be balanced by the need to

ensure that by increasing the levelof access and use in quieter areaswe are not damaging the wildlifethat people are coming to enjoy.With this in mind Humber NaturePartnership is working withrelevant organisations to helpproduce recreation managementplans for the most sensitive areas.

⁹Ramblers Association. Economic benefits of walking 2015.10 Provisional results, 2014/15 National Trails Visitor Survey. Unpublished Natural

England Communication.11www.ctc.org.uk. “What’s happened to cycle commuting in England

and Wales” by Chris Peck, 7th March 2013. Article uses mapped UK censustable changes between 2001 to 2011.

Lapwings at sunrise


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5. About Humber Nature PartnershipThe Humber Nature Partnership isone of England’s Local NaturePartnerships, endorsed byGovernment, to work withdecision-making bodies andindividuals to protect and enhancethe natural capital of the Humberto enable prosperity. HumberNature Partnership is a not-for-profit limited company, governedby directors from business and thepublic and voluntary sectors.

The Humber Nature Partnershipworks with its members to helpthem to achieve their economicaspirations in a sustainablemanner and manages the HumberManagement Scheme and theHumber Catchment Partnership.

Our vision is that by 2020 theHumber Estuary’s naturalenvironment will be richer inecological diversity and more ableto adapt to the pressures placedupon it than it is today, bringingbenefits for wildlife, business andlocal people.

By working alongside the HumberLocal Enterprise Partnership (LEP),the partnership wants to maximisethe economic potential of theHumber’s unique natural assetsthrough concerted effort and apartnership approach tosustainable development.

Humber Management Scheme The Humber Management Schemeis delivered through the HumberNature Partnership and wasestablished under the HabitatsRegulations to assist those

organisations with statutory dutiesin working together to deliver themanagement of the HumberEstuary European Marine Sitethrough one single managementplan. It is a simple and efficientway to deliver the management ofa complex estuary.

The action plan focuses on actionsthat will bring the greatestimprovement in the Estuary.

Its objectives are: • To manage the estuary to meetthe requirements of theconservation objectives

• To bring people andorganisations together to deliver the sustainablemanagement of the HumberEstuary European Marine Site.

• To raise awareness and educate stakeholders about the Humber Estuary EuropeanMarine Site and increaseparticipation in its management.

• To identify information gapsand research requirements andto promote sharing andavailability of data for themanagement of the HumberEstuary European Marine Site.

• To ensure a coordinatedapproach to the management of the estuary and itshinterlands including planningfor the future in respect to thefeatures of the Humber EstuaryEuropean Site.

Humber Catchment Partnership The Humber Nature Partnershipfulfils the role of a CatchmentPartnership under the CatchmentBased Approach to the delivery ofthe Water Framework Directive(WFD). At the catchment level, thepartnership works with keystakeholders to agree and deliverthe strategic priorities for thecatchment and to support theEnvironment Agency in ensuringthat the Humber reaches GoodEcological Status as requiredunder WFD.


Humber Nature PartnershipWaters' Edge Visitor Centre

Maltkiln RoadBarton Upon HumberNorth Lincolnshire

DN18 5JR

01652 631520www.humbernature.co.uk


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