The search for equilibrium on the estuaries of the Stour and Orwell

A view looking towards Ipswich from Pin Mill, one of the many beauty spots along the River Orwell. Picture: MICK WEBB (Image: Archant)

The immense wildlife, landscape and cultural significances of the Stour and Orwell estuaries are among the key factors that draw thousands of people to the rivers’ shorelines and hinterlands every year.

Whether attracted by such lures as the spectacle of huge flocks of wading birds wheeling over the waters in winter or the simple pleasures of walking in countryside nationally designated for its beauty, the rivers, their shores and their wider surrounds are understandably - and increasingly - popular with local residents and tourists alike. And thereby hangs a tale - a tale of striking a balance between the pressures such human presence may exert and the very environmental features that people seek to enjoy in the area.

Establishing a sustainable equilibrium in and around the estuaries was a recurring theme in the Stour and Orwell Forum 2017, a gathering of delegates from a wide range of relevant organisations that took place this week beside the Orwell at the Royal Harwich Yacht Club, Woolverstone.

Several of the forum speakers explored issues relating to striking the right balance between recreation activities, business enterprise and environmental factors, with Tom Pavitt, of the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), outlining an initiative that is striving to do just that in a marine context.

Boats moored at Shotley - a community at the meeting place of the rivers Stour and Orwell. Picture: BILL BALDRY (Image: Archant)

The MMO was the Government body that licenced, regulated and planned marine activity, he said. It was currently establishing a South-East Marine Plan which fitted in with a network of other plans around the coast and which sought to “make sure the right activity takes place in the right place and in the right way.” The network would “place sustainable development at the centre of all decisions,” he said.

The South-East Marine Plan’s area covered about 1,400 kilometres of coastline from Felixstowe to near Dover and included about 3,900sq km of sea - taking in the whole of the Sour and Orwell estuaries.

Mr Pavitt said “hundreds” of issues were currently being identified and “sifted through.” The remit of policies to be covered by the plan included such issues as coastal defence, tourism, climate change, biodiversity and water quality, and the MMO was “gathering evidence” with people being invited to contribute their views through local workshops that would be held or online via the MMO website.

The process began last July and the main public consultation for the South-East Marine Plan would start in August, 2019. The aim was to publish adopted marine plans by June 2020.

Terrestrial pressures being faced by the Stour and Orwell estuaries and their hinterlands included increasing housing developments and rising recreational use, said Simon Amstutz, the manager for the Suffolk Coast & Heaths and Dedham Vale Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

An “avoidance and mitigation strategy” relating to recreational use of the area was being established, led by Ipswich Borough Council, Babergh District Council and Suffolk Coastal District Council, and was supported by Suffolk County Council.

“Most people recognise the need to get people out into the countryside to be healthier and to enjoy our fantastic nationally designated landscapes but we can all imagine that more housing could cause more disturbance on the estuaries,” said Mr Amstutz.

“The strategy will be a way in which local authorities and developers can meet their obligations to avoid and mitigate against any potential damage. It is a really good example of developers, local authorities and other interested parts working together to get the best possible outcomes for a multitude of interests.”

The outstanding landscape of the Stour and Orwell estuaries and the Shotley Peninsula is enjoyed by thousands of walkers each year and Annette Robinson, Suffolk County Council’s area rights of way manager, told the forum that of the county’s total of 5,734km of public rights of way, 303km of them were in Stour and Orwell parishes.

They were all defined on Suffolk’s Definitive Map of such routes. “The Definitive Map is not some dry, dusty document that does not have a meaning,” she said.

“It is about people and the benefits that people can get from using the rights of way network. It is about helping people get out and about, improving accessibility and removing physical barriers where possible. More people will be using the network in future and a lot of my time is spent looking at planning applications to see how we can protect rights of way and how we can enhance them.”

Laura Chellis, an adviser to Natural England on plans to establish an England Coast Path, said consultations on how the route could take shape around the Orwell Estuary would soon be taking place. Her “key massage” was that local involvement was vitally important.

“We want to talk about what routes might be best, what issues there are for people and what are the issues for nature because we have to ensure that what takes place is not going to have a negative impact on nature conservation,” she said.

“We are not buying land, we are not controlling land - the key thing is talking to people in an 18-month consultation. It is really at the beginning, no decisions have been made - it’s all about talking and evidence gathering,” she said.