New bridge marks key stage in Lower Otter Restoration Project

BBC

The Queen Elizabeth Bridge spans the wetlands created by the Lower Otter Restoration Project

A project costing about £27m, which aims to reduce the impact of climate change, will reach a major milestone later with the opening of a new bridge.

The Queen Elizabeth Bridge is part of the Lower Otter Restoration Project at Budleigh Salterton, Devon.

The scheme is creating 55 hectares (136 acres) of mudflats, saltmarsh and other habitats along the Otter Estuary.

Runners and walkers will be among the first to use the bridge, which is part of the South West Coast Path.

The project is led by landowner Clinton Devon Estates and the Environment Agency, which has provided much of the funding.

'Absolutely incredible'

"With rising sea levels and ageing infrastructure we have increasing pressure on the defences around the coast," said the Environment Agency's Dan Boswell.

"It's really important that we get ahead of the curve and proactively manage our environment so that we get the wins for the environment, for people and we do that in a way that is as sustainable as possible."

Environmental groups hope the new, expanded inter-tidal wetland habitat will bring significant benefits for nature.

Rick Lockwood, from Pebblebed Heaths Conservation Trust, part of Clinton Devon Estates, said: "Over the next few years saltmarsh and mudflats are going to develop here and that will see an increase in the number and types of birds that we get here, such as curlew which are now really declining in the UK."

Kate Ponting, from Clinton Devon Estates, who has been involved in the project since the start, said: "It's just absolutely incredible, to see the change, the pace of change and delivering all the things that we need it to, resilience to climate change, the habitat for wildlife and places for people."