We had a welly boot meeting on site with the Environment Agency. We walked around the whole area that our projects cover. It was obvious they share the same passion as we do for the environment and were incredibly supportive of our plans. It was particularly useful to understand their approach to managing the watercourses from an environmental and flood perspective; and how our plans might dovetail with them.
We all really enjoyed the walk too as it was a chance to escape our offices during daylight hours and explore a very beautiful wilderness.
They have offered some practical assistance such as materials we may need, but perhaps more valuable their help and advice navigating how we do all this with the right permissions in place and in accordance with regulations.
I suspect we have found some new friends, that will enjoy being involved in something so close to our hearts.