This is a large-scale scheme running for 27km along the River Trent as it meanders through Nottingham. The scheme runs through the countryside, suburbia, parks, industrial areas and SSSI’s each raising their own challenges and each requiring a careful and considered set of proposals suitable for the individual location.Even though Nottingham had not flooded since the 1960’s it was still deemed to be at considerable risk from the River Trent and a £50 million scheme was designed to alleviate this risk. It was completed in 2013 after four years of construction which required major infrastructure works to be successfully integrated into a variety of sensitive locations.Helping to understand the character and challenges of 27km of varied urban and rural character was the first major challenge faced by the landscape team. They assisted the environmental specialists in preparing the Environmental Statement identifying in landscape, visual and land use terms what was important about an area, why it was important and how best to conserve it or improve its characteristic through the works.The broadest definition of landscape was used in this sense with the landscape team considering not only matters of amenity and aesthetic but also heritage and cultural associations, access and circulation, ecology and habitat creation and recreation on and adjacent to the river. In effect an Environmental Masterplan was developed that incorporated the flood alleviation proposals.Highlights of the scheme included:

• Re-modelling of the Grade 1 Listed Nottingham War Memorial to not only include flood walls but also improved access for acts of remembrance;
• Creation of over 10 Hectares of compensatory Bio-diversity Action Plan (BAP) Habitat, primarily reedbeds, at Attenborough Site of Special Scientific Interest; and
• Reformation of a village green.

The landscape proposals were integral in reaching agreement with Local Planning Authorities and consenting bodies such as Natural England, who had expressed concerns regarding the potential broad scale environmental effects of the scheme.Consultation and ongoing liaison through the design and constructions stages were key to the success of initially understanding the concerns of stakeholders large and small and then addressing them in a thorough way on site.An Environmental Board was formed to bring all critical environmental parties together to agree on mitigation and enhancement strategies for the different parts of the scheme. The Principal Landscape Architect sat on this Board and their team was the prime source of vision and strategy for what form environmental mitigation and enhancement works should take.A mid-tier of communication took place with technical consultees with whom the landscape team exchanged information and built tacit support for the detailed form of the proposals.A resident landscape architect played an important role working closely with the operators of the excavators and piling rigs, resolving site difficulties, liaising successfully with public utilities and handling design changes on site when stakeholders changed their mind or became concerned at the scale of the works. The resident landscape architect was also tasked with liaising with local residents and landowners concerned about the effects of the scheme on their property.The Nottingham scheme can be described as ‘the right proposals for the right place’. Rather than imposing a ‘one style fits all’ solution the landscape team ensured that the most appropriate design proposals were developed to suit the actual setting they were located within.Where environmental effects could not be avoided then the resulting mitigation was designed to ensure as much benefit to people and wildlife as possible. At certain locations, nature conservation rightfully took the lead, such as the creation of extensive BAP habitat, whilst in other areas heritage and public access issues dominated.Flood banks were not just viewed as artificial structures but also new footpath and cycleway routes. Excavation areas were not just restored to their previous condition but rather improved to offer a wider range of habitats and local character was not only preserved but where possible improved.This is an example of Green Infrastructure where a potentially intrusive and adverse piece of engineering infrastructure is turned to the benefit of local people and wildlife through creative and inclusive design.