Flood resilience and environmental gain in Boscastle
Content Table
Authors
A. Cooper (Nicholas Pearson Associates - andrew.cooper@npaconsult.co.uk)
J. Farnell (Nicholas Pearson Associates)
Proceedings paper from the 10th Annual River Restoration Centre Network Conference, 1st - 2nd April 2009
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Abstract
This paper describes and illustrates the influence that landscape architects can have on shaping engineering solutions for flood risk management, from the initial landscape and visual impact assessments, to detailed analysis and design.
The paper shares the experience of developing a flood risk management scheme, for the lower quay, within the village of Boscastle.
Boscastle is a sensitive environment located within the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty; it is within a Conservation Area setting and located principally on land owned by the National Trust. The village suffered significant flood damage in 2004.
We demonstrate how the skills of landscape architects have specifically influenced the flood risk management scheme design and how we contributed to the teamwork that has been so important to the project.
A key part of our involvement and contribution here was the identification of which landscape/ecological and cultural characteristics of the village and lower quay should be restored or conserved and which were the elements that could accommodate change to deliver environmental, flood risk management and community gains.
Before and after photographs are used to demonstrate the added value that collaborative planning and design can bring to a flood risk management scheme. The use of photomontage techniques will be identified as a valuable tool for community and stakeholder consultation and in achieving planning consent.
The paper concludes by identifying how sensitively responding to local context can enable distinctive and more flood resilient, contemporary design to be delivered within a sensitive historic environment. The new lower bridge is used as a case study to illustrate this.
Keywords
Boscastle; contemporary bridge design; distinctive characteristics; flood resilience; landscape architects
