Background Information
Hale Wharf was a neglected waterside area situated on the River Lee in Tottenham. The site was redeveloped to create hundreds of new homes, public spaces and walking routes for the community.
Scope of the Project
Tottenham Hale is one of the Mayor of London’s priority Housing Zones, so it was important that the site provided a valuable green space for residents. The design of the development incorporated green walkways with floating reed beds and improved access to commercial barges. Property developers McLaren group approached Aquamaintain Ltd to design and install a floating reed bed scheme for the waterside areas of the development. The main aims of the project were to make the site more visually attractive for residence and provide habitat for a range of wildlife such as invertebrates, fish and waterfowl.
Our Solution
Aquamaintain Ltd attended a site visit with the client to assess the specific requirements for this unique location. A scheme was designed by an experienced Aquamaintain Ltd consultant that met the needs of the site and the client. The floating reed beds were manufactured in house with high specification components to our unique design. A total of 40 custom made 2m x 1.15m units were delivered to site. Coir mats were fixed to each frame and planted with a range of aquatic plants at 8-10 plants per square meter. Species included Reed Canary Grass, Sedge, Yellow Flag Iris, Purple Loostrife and Water Mint. The planted floating red beds were then fitted with galvanised weld mesh covers secured with stainless steel clips to protect them from grazing and nesting of waterfowl. Each unit was then moved into position between the walkway and the sheet piling. They were fixed to the sheet piling with stainless steel rope that was long enough to allow for some variation in water depth. The individual reedbeds were fixed together with stainless steel clips that meant they could be safely access for maintenance. As the plants mature the installation will increase biodiversity and provide valuable habitat for local wildlife.
