The market town of Ulverston is situated in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria. Bounded in the East by the Leven Estuary and several becks it has been highly impacted from widespread flooding. With the worsening of global warming these events are not only going to increase in frequency but in their level of destruction.
The 1.25-mile disused canal in Ulverston is isolated and is mainly used as a throughfare for pedestrians into the town. Located next to the site of GlaxoSmithKline which is in the process of being permanently closed, these features combined offer an opportunity for nature to reclaim and reinvent the landscape of the town.
Through the idea of redesign, reuse, and regeneration a solution has been realised that can protect the community from current and future flooding events. This also enhances the natural capital of the space by though creating new habitats and offers additional benefits such as health and wellbeing, education etc.
This site will be regenerated into a wetland park which will create a recreational space for the community and a tourist attraction within the area. Opportunities have been presented for mixed use habitation allowing for residential and commercial opportunities.
Industrial structures and features such as buildings, chimneys and elevated pipelines within the site will be retained and reused. This allows the site to retain the history and identity of its previous use, whilst offering a sustainable option of reusing existing spaces/elements. As many materials as possible will be reused within the site.
Wildflower meadows, woodlands, wetland areas, tree planting and pond areas will aid in the natural remediation of the former brownfield site over time whilst creating diverse habitats for wildlife.
