Public-private partnership

One of the objectives of the design competition was for private parties jointly to take responsibility early on for this project in which water, nature, housing, employment, agriculture and recreation would be combined attractively. This resulted early 2007 in a public-private partnership agreement between the public parties (the provincial government and municipalities) and the private parties (Boskalis and Volker Wessels) for creation of the Wieringerrandmeer.

Preparatory and planning phases

The project calls for the development of an area of approximately 1600 ha. Besides the development of approximately 2100 homes, the new 9 km long peripheral lake will strengthen the area’s green and blue structures. More than 600 ha of new nature will be created, much of it forming part of the national ecological structure. Work will begin in 2011 following the preparatory and planning phases. Due to the current economic situation the Wieringerrandmeer will be built in phases. The final parts of the plan are likely to be completed around 2030. Important input was provided in the planning phase through comprehensive aquatic and ecological analyses and modelling (to determine the probabilities of algal growth and of clear plant-rich water). The analyses were used to determine the lengthwise direction of the salt meadows, while large stretches of shallow water and reed beds were designed in the northern part of the lake and integrated with the nature challenge posed by the Noordboog, an ecological corridor project.

Civil engineering design

As an adviser to the joint development company, Witteveen+Bos was closely involved in developing this plan. We conducted research and provided advice in numerous fields. The objective is to ensure the best outcome of the integral approach adopted by our firm. This will enable our technical knowledge and extensive experience of civil engineering designs to be coupled to the production of the plan. Civil engineering matters that need to be addressed include:

• functional specification, designing and preparation of sub-areas for construction work and housing
• breakwaters
• civil engineering structures, like bridges, locks, intake/offtake regulators and pumping stations

Spatial planning and impact reports

An important contribution made by Witteveen+Bos was an Integral Impact Assessment consisting of:

• a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), incorporating a notification of intent to produce a project level Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
• agricultural impact assessment
• nature test, including an appropriate evaluation
• social cost-benefit analysis
• socio-economic impact study

The  studies resulted in three variants for developing the area, thus giving the authorities a solid basis for conducting a partial review of the provincial structure plan and inter-municipal structure vision. A project level EIA was drawn up for the embedding plan, including the second phase of the agricultural impact assessment and a deepening of the nature test and water management study. We controlled and supervised spatial planning and the environmental impact report.

Impact on water and nature

Witteveen+Bos examined the hydrological impact to identify the effects on the salinisation of the peripheral lake. A fresh/salt groundwater flow model was used to obtain a picture of the changes to seepage, groundwater levels and salinisation. This complex study provides an insight into situations where fresh and salt groundwater occur simultaneously. We examined the consequences for agriculture and nature by making additional calculations from the unsaturated zone to the fresh/salt profile in the rooting zone. Hydrological effects are being translated to revenue losses for agriculture as a result of flooding and salt stress and the ecological condition for different types of nature usage. This modelling allowed optimisation of the water management system to cope with the increasing salinisation. Effects on fish migration were identified and we studied how the Wieringerrandmeer might be able to play a role in creating a fresh/salt water gradient of the IJsselmeer via the Amstelmeer to the Waddenzee.

Financial expertise

In addition to technical expertise in the water, environment and infrastructure fields, we support financial decision-making by the joint development company and the individual parties involved in the project. The prime goals are transparency of financial premises and modelling. Our work includes:

• the business case/land exploitation plan, including risk analyses and variants studies
• advice on the organisational structure of the development group
• acquisition strategy
• liquidity and financing issues

European award

The Wieringerrandmeer stands as one of the best examples of projects for the integral development of areas. This was confirmed when the master plan won a major international architecture award in 2009. The LEAF Award of the Leading European Architects Forum went to Palmbout Urban Landscapes and Strootman Landschapsarchitecten. The master plan that they developed was acclaimed as the best European project for area development, with ample attention to rural and natural values.