“We were absolutely delighted with the support received for the proposals to create an improved river environment in Peterborough,” explains Programme Manager Julia Beeden from Peterborough City Council. “We had a high turnout of local residents and their comments will help to direct the focus of the project. It was fantastic to gain their local understanding and expertise to benefit the programme.”
The charity Peterborough Environment City Trust has teamed up with Peterborough City Council and the Environment Agency to work on the Werrington Brook Improvements, which aims to holistically improve a sub-catchment of the River Welland during a 5-7 year partnership programme of community-focused works.
Healthy rivers provide healthy environments to help local people, business, organisations and wildlife in numerous ways. The programme will not only involve physical works to the river, but will also explore how the local community and businesses can work together to reduce pollution to maintain a cleaner, greener, healthier river environment both now and in the future.
The plans for the area have been shaped by the people who live, work and visit there. Local residents were invited to view the proposed plans and share their thoughts at a series of public consultations in October and then the proposal documents and questionnaires were available online through to December 2015. The results were overwhelmingly positive, with 90% of attendees stating that the condition of the local water environment is important to their own well-being.
Consultation comments covered a variety of topics including the desire to reduce litter, increase the diversity of wildlife, encourage people to engage more with their local environment and to deliver solutions that will reduce reed growth and silt in Cuckoos Hollow. The results of the consultations will shape the focus of the project and initial works are proposed to commence from February 2016, with five stretches of the Werrington and Marholm brooks and Cuckoos Hollow being improved in stages.
The physical works will involve putting new features into the brooks to improve the way they function and to naturally restore them, for the benefit of residents and wildlife. These features will help clean the water, create new habitats, and provide a more pleasant space for all to enjoy.
The works will make a huge difference and can make an even bigger one with the support and collaboration of local people, volunteers and businesses. To find out further details about the project and how to get involved, email [email protected] or visit www.pect.org.uk/werringtonbrook.