MP engagement on chalk streams
We were delighted to be consulted by Victoria Collins MP for Harpenden and Berkhamsted ahead of her first debate on Chalk Streams: Sewage Discharges on 8th October Victoria has put forward a Private Members bill to make provision for the designation of rivers, streams and lakes as having protected status. Meanwhile, Sarah Green MP for Chesham and Amersham has put forward a bill to provide for a category of protection for chalk streams for the purpose of providing additional protections from pollution, abstraction and other forms of environmental damage.
Building on this, we will continue to lobby all Chiltern MPs to flag the importance of chalk streams. We will also be signing an open letter to the government to call for greater protection of chalk streams nationally – watch this space.
Planning & chalk streams
With the National Landscapes Team we are preparing a “Planning Guidance Supplement” to help ensure the protection of chalk streams in the face of increased development pressure. We hope to launch this shortly after Christmas.
Abstraction resuming in the Chess catchment – or not?
In the summer, the Environment Agency directed that Alma Road pumping station be recommissioned to recommence pumping at the head of the Chess, under the misguided premise that it may reduce flooding in Chesham. All the experts we consulted disagreed and were deeply concerned that flow in the Chess would be reduced. The pumping station was closed for this reason in 2019/20 and was duly celebrated in the national press as a great success. The most concerning part is that Environment Agency staff attended over 40 meetings with us and our key partners over the last 18 months, yet didn’t consult on or even mention recommissioning Alma Road. We wrote to the Secretary of State for the Environment and the Chief Executive of the Environment Agency to share our concerns and the recommissioning has been ‘paused’.
Government review of water sector
We were pleased to see the Secretary of State launch an independent commission into the water sector and its regulation. We will be following this closely and feeding in where possible to ensure the outcomes lead to benefits for chalk streams.
Access to chalk streams
This is rising on the Governments agenda, so we’re working with others to get national government support for chalk stream access.
We are already scoping work for a “Two Rivers Walk” between the Chess and Misbourne. Sustrans, who have been contacted to undertake this exercise, have been consulting on the project. Their short survey at the last count had 216 responses, 96% positive.
Meanwhile, Paul Jennings and Andrew Clark – two of our walks and chalk streams champions – are looking at creating a 80-100 mile walk loop linking as many of the Chiltern Chalk streams as practical. The hope is that we add a Chilterns Chalk Stream National Trail to the well utilised and established Ridgeway and Thames Path National Trails.
Funding from Thames Water to address Misbourne flooding
Thames Water have committed £2.5 million to tackle sewer flooding affecting Chalfont St Peter. It does appear to be more than a ‘sticking plaster approach’: Chalfont St Peter to have £2.5m spent to protect it from floods – BBC News
Chess Smarter Water Catchment Project
The project is reaching its halfway point. Funding from Thames Water and plans for April 2025-2030 are progressing well, despite the difficulties that Thames Water faces.
One of the many highlights is that work has finally started at the Chesham Moor Road Recreation Ground to restore the River Chess and improve access for school visits. This will hopefully be completed before Christmas, to allow good access next spring once ground cover has been reestablished.
Chiltern Chalk Stream Project
We had a workshop last week with key project partners to progress the business plan for the next 5 years. We will continue to support this through our project work and ‘Friends of Chiltern Chalk Streams’ initiative. Under the Chalk Stream Project, workshops were held in the summer/early autumn for the Misbourne and Hughenden stream to identify priorities for restoration. Sign up to receive the latest news from the Chiltern Chalk Stream Project here: chiltern streams enewsletter.
Citizen Science
We are delighted to support the work of the Chiltern Chalk Streams Project’s citizen science team on the Chess. Work is now extending well beyond the Smarter Water Catchment work to cover projects with the National History Museum (NHM) and Floods and Droughts Research Infrastructure (FDRI) Included in the Collection. The work with NHM includes the collection of Environmental DNA (or eDNA) from water samples, hopefully revealing the species present in the river, even microscopic ones that usually go undetected. FDRI’s innovative programme will, for the first time in the UK, monitor the whole hydrological system to improve resilience to floods and droughts. This builds on the great work of our inhouse (volunteer) expert Geologist Dr Haydon Bailey.
