news

From time to time we'll be updating this page with anything interesting we find out about that's going on in the sub-region and what we're up to with the data centre.

This should include features and functions as they're added, interesting data sets we've been given, dug up or are currently trying to source and anything else that we think is interesting.

If you have any information which would be of interest to the humber community, please let us know and we'll stick it on as news.

Articles are listed for 2 months.

Success at Chowder Ness

Rare birds are flocking to a newly-created wetland reserve now the site is starting to mature. Black-tailed godwits, curlews, lapwings, shell ducks and avocets are visiting the 12-acre site less than two years after it was created.The Chowder Ness site was created by Associated British Ports (ABP) and wildlife partners by flooding farmland near Barton-Upon-Humber. The scheme aims to compensate for habitat lost due to new port developments at Immingham and Hull.As well as providing an additional refuelling stop for migratory birds, the new mudflats and saltmarsh habitats will contribute to flood defence plans. Chowder Ness's earthwork embankments, covered by stonework, will help combat the growing threat of rising sea levels. The site is one of two investments of £3.5-million for Associated British Ports, where the Humber Bank has been breached to allow land to be once again reclaimed by the tidal river. The hope is the two sites, Chowder ness and Welwick Foreshore in the East Riding, will between them attract hundreds of thousands of birds.

Conflict at Proposals for Managed Realignment Site

"The Environment Agency is simply deploying Government policy." Those were the words of Agency boss Phil Winn as 100 residents gathered in North Somercotes to protest against plans to intentionally flood land near Donna Nook. A total of 140 hectares of agricultural land, which has already been purchased from two landowners, will be sacrificed. It comes as part of the Agency's obligations to create 700 hectares of new bird, invertebrate, fish and water vole habitats to compensate for habitat losses around the Humber estuary caused by sea level rises. Speaking on behalf of the Lindsey Marsh Sea Defence Group - which was set up earlier this year to represent the 14 active parish councils in the area - coordinator Guy Williams said their primary concern was that the plans appear to place birds before people.The proposals are governed by the European Union Birds and Habitat Directive, which will see a new earth embankment constructed 20m to 50m inland of current sea defences. The area created in between the new embankment and sea defences will then be flooded to create an inter-tidal habitat. Speaking at the meeting, Mr Winn said he hopes that despite concerns of the residents, the EA will be able to work alongside the local community to carry out the plans.As it stands the parcel of land produces four tons of wheat per acre. This is used for the UK's domestic market and will now have to be imported from elsewhere. Work on the site, which forms part of the £1billion 100-year Humber Strategy, is scheduled to be completed in summer 2010. As part of the strategy, similar schemes have already been completed at Paull Holme Strays, near Hull, and Alkborough near Scunthorpe.

HEDC website's mysterious disappearance

We've been having some problems with the HEDC website over the past week. Essentially the server broke. They've now stuck our site onto a new server but there are a few things which are still not working. The most important of which is that we're not currently able to receive email. As soon as everything's fixed I'll update this article.

Online data temporarily unavailable (29th May 2008)

Apparently one of our hosting companies has disappeared off the internet today. Hopefully this is only temporary but means that online data services are currently out of action. I will update this message as soon as I know what is going on.

That was quick

Seems the web hosts have sorted themselves out and everything is back up and running. No news on what happened but I will update the news if it happens again.