Paull Village Enhancement Scheme - Conclusion

The final photograph and illustration (previous page) give an overall impression of the project and how it can interlink with the village and adjoining Humber foreshore areas. It includes several features not so far alluded to during the "tour."

The BP Amoco "Humber Bundle" project, involving the installation of up to eleven chemical transfer pipes in a tunnel bored under the River Humber is still being actively considered. A valving station (a compound shown in the illustration, just above the church) is a necessary part of this project, but shown as being effectively screened by the dense tree and shrub planting. It is hoped that BPA will collaborate by extending tree planting to the east of the compound and part-fund the reforestation, forming the basis for the Country Park / Nature Reserve.

The densely wooded area is served by a number of footpaths integrating Fort Paull, the foreshore and St. Andrew's church. In addition to the recreational benefits of these walkways, this would form an important nature walk and educational resource.

An additional car park area is suggested, illustrated next to the gas terminal (top left corner) with direct access to the bank top footpath and saltmarsh Nature Reserve beyond. This, we believe, would be the natural position for the parking of contractors' vehicles and equipment during the construction phase of the project and a simple hand-over afterwards for general public use.

The illustration gives a "best guess" of the full extent of the managed retreat: it shows this to be predominantly saltmarsh and mud flats, but incorporating two large lagoon areas each protecting central island habitats. It is clear that the retreated area will flood only periodically and for relatively short periods of time. The use of lagoons will make the area more visually attractive and hopefully provide the source for most of the embankment materials, thus minimising spoil movement through the village. The island / wetland / lagoon environments would also attract a much more diverse naturalisation of flora and fauna. Within the retreat a number of observation hides are proposed, again adding to the recreational and educational value of the project.

Because of the *SSSI and Ramsar designation of the adjacent mudflats the Parish Council would strongly oppose any ideas for using the lagoon areas for any kind of watersports and would welcome any measures to prevent this - most probably in the form of pedestrian-only access control.

*SSSI = Site of Special Scientific Interest; Ramsar refers to those specific wetland sites designated as being of international importance by the Ramsar Convention (signed in Ramsar, Iran.)