Rebecca Chiazzese, Project Manager for the Earth Trust River of Life II wetland creation project, has sent the following update to the Parish Council:
As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, we had to postpone the project from last year until 2021. I want to give you an update on timings.
The construction phase for the wetland areas on Earth Trust and Church Farm land between Clifton Hampden Bridge and Days Lock will begin in early May. Work in this area is programmed to take approximately nine weeks and finish on the 5th August. Obviously though, with a large scale earth works moving project such as this, it’s likely that these timings will shift a little, but we are not expecting any significant variation against this programme.
Prior to the works starting, we will set up the footpath diversion as per the approved diversion in the Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TTRO) which will follow the route of the orange dotted line on this map. As you can see, this will temporarily replace the footpath that heads north from the gate at the end of Northfield Lane, down the green lane and to the Thames Path (the route shown by the purple line and labelled as 287/2/10 on the map) which will be closed for the duration of the works. Signs for this will go out on the 8th April. The contractor will be responsible for checking these signs and also the safe temporary diversions (as per the approved TTRO) around construction areas for the culvert connections at four locations along the Thames Path upstream of Days Lock. Each of these is estimated to take several days at most.
The works at Overy Mead, land adjacent to the River Thame at Dorchester on Thames, owned by Hurst Water Meadow Trust, will not limit pedestrian access to the Thames Path (via Hurst Water Meadow Trust land permissive path) and this work is estimated to take from 23rd July to the 25th August.
If you have any questions, concerns etc, please give me a call on 07734 106321 or email RebeccaC@jctr.co.uk.
There is more information about the River of Life II project on the Earth Trust website.
This sounds a very interesting and worthwhile project. At the PR meeting at the Village Hall, it was said that the “large scale earthmoving” would be carried out by moving the earth on the Thames to avoid multiple HGV movements through the village – can this be confirmed? 9 weeks of HGVs at around Harvest Time when there are many 40 ft grain lorries & combine harvesters through the village would be good to avoid!
In response: Subsequent to the public consultation events that took place in October 2019, we have identified an arable field adjoining the project area at Clifton Meadow where the landowner has kindly agreed to us depositing the spoil. Hence the spoil will be moved, by dumper truck, from the areas where the wetlands will be created directly to the area where the spoil will be deposited and spread. Therefore there will be no need for the spoil to be taken on the Thames or on the wider road network. So, other than the machinery arriving on site and, at the end of the project, leaving the site, there will be no movement of large equipment through the village.
Much appreciated, thank you for your reply.