Brief project information:
| The location: | Arrow Valley Lake and Batchley Pools, Redditch |
| The project: | To restore the severely eroded banks and create access for 33 fishing platforms, some suitable for use by people with disabilities. |
| Timescale: | December - April 2007/ 2008 |
| PDF: |  Download case study - Arrow Valley Lake |
“Blue Boar had the skills, knowledge and equipment we needed to carry out the restoration work from the water using floating pontoons. There was no disruption for people using the lake and they finished the project early!”
Carl Walker, Landscape and Countryside Manager, Redditch Borough Council
The location:
Arrow Valley Lake was constructed in the early 1970s and sits in a park made from land distributed during the building of Redditch new town. Batchley Pools is a fairly small lake central to a large housing area, stocked with fish for use by a local angling club. It also serves indirectly as a balancing pond for excess water from the residential area.
The lakes are well used by anglers and sailing clubs and home to a variety of wildlife – ducks, geese and nesting herons in particular.
The project:
Both lakes had severe erosion of the edges caused by time, currents and, in the case of Arrow Valley lake, the wash from the boats. The erosion had resulted in the undermining of the banks making them unstable and potentially unsafe for users of the lakes. The banks desperately needed restoration and reinforcement and the lakes would also benefit from well constructed access points for anglers and those accessing the water’s edge.
However, one of the more seriously eroded banks at Arrow Valley was very steep and there was a public footpath running across the top. This meant that the use of heavy plant and the storage of materials was not feasible as it would probably cause major damage and instability to the site, so it was clear that the restoration work needed to be carried out from the water rather than the bank.
Why Blue Boar?
Redditch Borough Council selected us for the project because we could demonstrate that we had the right skills and experience to carry out the restoration work using floating pontoons on the water – and we also had our own specialist equipment and trained operators.
We understood how important it was to be able to work around the people using the lakes and to cause as little disruption as possible to the birds; the work took place in the winter months so as not to interfere with the nesting seasons.
“Thanks to Blue Boar’s professionalism, there was minimal disturbance to the lakes whilst the work was being carried out. We didn’t receive one complaint during that time, which is quite significant for a project
of this size.”
Carl Walker
The outcome:
After the initial dredging, floating pontoons were used to install geo-textile bank protection and this was backfilled with lake sediment and natural materials to create a soft but stable edge. The coir rolls were planted with reeds and other vegetation to increase the bio-diversity factor of the lake and protected with chicken wire rolls until the plants were firmly established.
Specific areas were marked out for anglers and 33 fishing platforms were installed, some with disabled access.
The lakes are now far more accessible and safer for visitors to use. The restoration work has also vastly improved their aesthetic appeal.
Commercial and Medium sized contracts
In this section
- Bishop’s Palace Wells
- Arrow Valley Lake
- Llandrindod Wells Lake
- Queen’s Park Lake
- Pittville Park
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