What we will be doing
We will remove most of the weir down to riverbed level, leaving a small section on the south bank for heritage purposes. We recognise the historical context of the location and will continue to work with local archaeologists and Council Historic Advisors throughout this project.
During the works, a temporary channel will be created to divert the river and allow the weir to be removed in a dry working area. This is for ease of works, to minimise the risk of silt being disturbed and entering the river uncontrolled, and to allow archaeologists to safely record the structure. Fish will use the temporary channel to freely move up and downstream.
The temporary channel will maintain the flow in the river and we will provide a small proportion of flow down the Mill Leat similar to now.
This work has no impact on flood risk.
We will take all appropriate action to minimise the impact of silt release during the works.
Timescales
All construction work will take account of fish spawning seasons.
February 2019 – site preparation works including some tree removal to minimise risk of birds nesting
August / September 2019 – compound and haul roads set up
September 2019 – start construction, including bypass channel and in-channel works
December 2019 / January 2020 – complete construction
There will be some restrictions to the working area for health and safety reasons, as it will be a live construction site. After the works are completed the existing access will be reinstated.
There will be some disruption to angling in the vicinity of the weir during the works, due to the necessary construction site boundary, but we will look to minimise impacts.
We will confirm working hours nearer the time but it is usually Monday to Friday, 7:30am – 5pm.
Further information
We have an online information page about this project, which we will keep updated on a regular basis. The link to this page is https://consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/west-midlands/removal-of-dove-cliff-weir
Contact us
If you have any queries about this project, please contact our Engagement Team via email at Engagement_WestMids@environment-agency.gov.uk or by telephone on 0203 025 1583.
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