Millions of tonnes of soil, dug out to make way for a major rail tunnel under London, has been recycled at one of the biggest man-made nature reserves in Europe. The Wallasea Island Wild Coast Project has seen its first phase of work completed using vast quantities of earth left over from 42km of Crossrail tunnel digging. The project, which also saw the shifting of the soil by river, has created a wildlife habitat twice the size of the City of London, and environment experts have painstakingly recreated a landscape of saltmarshes, lagoons and mudflats that would’ve characterised the area 400 years ago.

development and environmental protection together, delivering win-win solutions for both. This kind of sustainable growth allows us to protect our natural environment while putting in place the infrastructure our country needs to grow.”

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) site helps solve the problem of what to do with soil excavated during the construction of Crossrail, thought to be Europe’s biggest infrastructure project.

An RSPB spokesman said the reserve will become home to newly arrived bird species from southern Europe, such as the black-winged stilt. The Kentish plover, a wading bird which became extinct as a nesting bird in the UK and the spoonbill could also return.

Environment minister Rory Stewart said: “The Wallasea Island project is a fantastic example of how creative thinking can bring

many of Britain’s leading rowers, I’ve trained on the Thames throughout my career. It’s arguably the sport’s nursery slopes. Here, people have the opportunity to take their first strokes on the water. For most it quickly becomes a passion, for a few it becomes the centre of a sporting life. “Whatever the level of commitment, the river can be

unforgiving so safety is key.”
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