Residents of Stockton-on-Tees are being encouraged to find out how a £700,000 restoration scheme is on track to bring a boost to both wildlife and water quality at an upcoming drop-in session.
The Lustrum Beck Urban River Restoration project, funded by the Environment Agency, will make it easier for fish to migrate between the Tees estuary and upstream stretches of the beck, and attract iconic species such as water vole, otters and dragonflies.
The beck runs for four miles through urban Stockton, flowing through Hartburn, Grangefield, Newtown and Tilery before it joins the River Tees at Portrack.
Historically, the beck has been heavily modified – straightened, widened and deepened – with the loss of habitat having an adverse effect on the ecology and restricting fish movement.
In recent years, the Environment Agency has worked with partners to create an upstream natural flood management scheme at Coatham Woods which includes 30 hectares of ponds and wetlands.
The new project at Lustrum Beck will see even more natural measures implemented including:
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Fixing woody material into the channel to create a variety of water speeds during low flow conditions. This will help to oxygenate the water and keep gravel habitats free of sediment.
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Lowering redundant river embankments to enhance habitat quality for wildlife during dry spells.
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Creating new in-channel features to boost biodiversity.
Habitat around the beck will also be improved through planting and vegetation management.
Members of the public will have the chance to view the proposals and ask questions about the works at the upcoming drop-in session held at Newtown Community Resource Centre on Wednesday, 5th February, from 3–7 pm.
Phoebe Wreford-Glanvill, Environment Agency Project Manager, said:
Having successfully completed the Billingham Beck Restoration Scheme at the end of 2024, we are excited to move forward with another important project in Stockton-on-Tees, centred around the restoration of Lustrum beck and its tributaries.
As an area that has been significantly altered by decades of human activity, we are excited to be enhancing habitat quality for wildlife, adjusting flow speeds to improve water quality, and boosting biodiversity.
We do want to hear the views of the local community, and we would encourage everyone to come along to the drop-in session to learn more about our proposed work and see what this means for the area.
Councillor Clare Besford, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, said:
Lustrum Beck is a wonderful wildlife haven running through the middle of Stockton that is enjoyed by many people of all ages.
We are pleased to be working alongside our partner, the Environment Agency, on this restoration scheme to further enhance Lustrum Beck’s wildlife and water quality. It aligns with the Council’s aspirations to protect and enhance the natural environment as set out in our Environmental Sustainability and Carbon Reduction Strategy.
I would encourage residents to attend the community drop-in event to find out more.
The Tees Estuary, in North East England, is one of the most heavily modified and developed estuaries in the UK, with less than 10% of the original intertidal habitats remaining. The few remaining natural areas of the estuary are dominated by hard flood defences, industrial quaysides and tidal barriers. These features all prevent natural expansion of the estuary.
Lustrum Beck Urban River Restoration scheme is part of the Tees Tidelands programme, a wide-ranging project which will manage flood risk, restore intertidal habitat and reconnect people to the Tees estuary. The Environment Agency and Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council will start work on the project later this year.
