Exo Environmental were appointed Principal Designer and Project Manager of a 4 year dredging and restoration project by the Brightlingsea Harbour Commissioners. This project aimed to remove 53,000m3 of accumulated sediment from within the historic Brightlingsea Harbour and beneficially reuse the majority of the arising material to restore 5ha of local intertidal and saltmarsh habitat.

Due to the quality and extent of the local habitats and the rich biodiversity they support, the site is located within several national and international designated sites, including a Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) that specifically targets the preservation of the local Native Oyster (Ostrea edulis) populations and the biogenic reef habitats this species creates.

Under the conditions of the marine licence, the temporal impact of the dredging works on benthic fauna community composition, particularly with regards to monitoring recolonisation and recovery of the local populations within the dredge areas, required monitoring and assessment. To aid interpretation and to monitor rates of sediment accumulation within the Creek, particle size distribution (PSD) was also assessed.

To achieve this, Exo conducted repeated surveys of the Year 1 dredge areas immediately following cessation of the dredging works and at regular intervals over a 32 week period using a Day Grab deployed from the Exo Surveyor survey vessel. Although species richness and abundance decreased following dredging activity as expected, recovery of benthic populations was observed over the survey period and corroborated recovery times of estuarine species recorded in existing literature.

Beccles Yacht Station and Boat Dyke has silted up over the years due to run off related sources from the main river and the main town drain. The accumulated silt had to be removed to allow for safe navigation as well improve conveyance of the drainage system. Exo were appointed to design and manage the desilting works, including site investigations (Preliminary ecological survey, bathymetric survey and sediment sampling followed by analysis), licence applications (MMO, EA, BA and NE), facilitate a tender and project manage the project throughout. The project was successfully completed in November 2021, and included dredging under D1 licence (EA), Marine licence (MMO) and Broads Works permit with a bank side long reach excavator. The dredged material was dewatered in temporary lagoons before it was transported to a spreading site under a SR2010 No.4 Landspreading licence (EA). The spread and cultivated dredged material will be sown in as a wildflower meadow to improve biodiversity of the the grass swards.

In October 2020 Exo Environmental were appointed by the Port of Brightlingsea (POB) to deliver critical national infrastructure to manage the effects of border protocol changes after the Brexit transition in 2021. This new infrastructure was funded through the UK government’s Port infrastructure fund (PIF).

Exo Environmental were tasked with writing the grant funding application and provided advice throughout the process, helping to finish the completed application within one month of receiving the purchase order.

Using our experience and knowledge of grant applications we were able to quickly determine the suitability and eligibility of the fund and subsequently develop a work structure and plan to finish the application within the 30-day deadline.

After collating the relevant information including, plans and AUTOCAD design drawings, the final application was submitted before the deadline.

Following an assessment period, we were notified of our successful application from HM Border protocol and Delivery group (BPDG) in December 2020, and official go ahead for the work to begin was granted in March 2021.

As part of the agreed improvements, Exo, as project managers helped deliver a host of improvements through a plethora of sub-contractors, this included a new operations office for Border force official checks.

This project involved a multifaceted approach to management and consultancy, organising on site work and coordinating contact with HM government departments, reporting on progress against milestones set, and regularly updating the client.

The new additions were completed by July 2021 heralding this new chapter of trade and continuing economic growth in the Southeast coastal region.

During the first phase of the Year 2 work package, Royal Smals were commissioned to use their Cutter Suction Dredger (CSD) “Phoenix” to dredge approximately 12,000m3 from Brightlingsea Creek South Channel. This material was pumped up to 1.7km and used to fill the St Osyth borrow pits. These twenty three (23) pits, approximately 30x30x1.5m in size, were originally excavated in the 1960’s in order to strengthen the local coastal flood defences following the 1953 floods. A series of connecting excavations, dams and drop-board sluice gates were installed by subcontractors, Miles Water Engineering, whilst a series of “Y-“ unions and valves allowed the close control of the pumped dredge material, in order to achieve maximum fill and storage volumes.

The dredging and restoration works were carried out over three successive neap tide periods, to limit the potential for erosion during high springs, with Exo providing site management services throughout. This included coordination of works between the harbour, dredging and restoration teams, liaising with both contractors and members of the public to ensure understanding and encourage support of the project and to confirm all works and mitigation measures put in place were adhered to.

Inevitably, whilst undertaking a complex operation in a logistically challenging and high risk intertidal environment, problems can arise as a result of unforeseen or uncontrollable circumstances. We employ an adaptive management strategy to our dredging and restoration projects, as recommended by the Central Dredging Association (CEDA), to combat and allow the project to remain robust to such uncertainty. Exo’s site management and expertise allowed any minor issues to be solved efficiently enabling the project to be delivered on time, within budget and with zero harm to people and the environment.

Exo Environmental have been the supporting consultants for Morgan marine for several years, helping with the development of the proposed Colne Marina. This modernisation and upgrade of the existing facilities requires extensive design measures to ensure no negative impact on the local environment. There is a high number of designations in the area, including SPA, SAC, Ramsar, SSSI and MCZ sites. Exo has been involved in ensuring that the design of the proposed development is driven by the requirements of these designations and that betterment of the local environment is included from the get go and not as an afterthought. Furthermore, we have performed all the necessary sampling and monitoring to help understand any potential impacts. By keeping these capabilities in house, we are able assist with the Marine Management Organisation screening of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The information provided by Exo has lead to the MMO confirming the project will not require a full EIA as the impact is deemed negligible due to the integral design considerations. Exo furthermore drafted a shadow HRA for the Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) carried out by Natural England. Our team has ensured that through a in depth understanding of the environment and development proposal, the impacts are minimised that proposals accepted by the regulators. Contact us to find out more!