December 2023
Words from the Chair
As the year draws to a close, there has been flurry of activity with many bids being submitted to a variety of funding sources. I wish all our partners every success with those bids and also with all the work planned for 2024.
Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year.
Richard Cresswell
Chair, Bristol Avon Catchment Partnership
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Catchment Partnership Fund
Projects Funded in October 2023
In the latest round of the Catchment Partnership Fund (CPF) we have funded three projects, two through the Main Grant Scheme and one through the Community Grant Scheme. Further details about the funded projects are below. We anticipate the next round of the CPF will open in April 2024.
If you have a project idea in mind or any questions about the CPF please contact: info@bristolavoncatchment.co.uk.
We would like to thank Bath and North East Somerset Council, Bristol City Council, Bristol Water, North Somerset Council, South Gloucestershire Council, and Wiltshire Council for contributing to the Catchment Partnership Fund this year.
Community Grants Scheme
Keep it Clean
Led by the Sustainable Westbury on Trym group this project will recruit volunteer’s on a street by street basis to become litter pickers in their area. Volunteers will be provided with the equipment and training to take part. Streets around the Trym and Hazel Brook will be targeted to help prevent litter entering the waterways. It is hoped through this project that volunteers will develop an interest in supporting the more river-based volunteering taking place on the Trym, helping to grow the community network that enhances and improves the water environment in this part of Bristol.
Main Grants Scheme
Wilder Waterways Project - (Land Yeo River catchment)
Bristol Avon Rivers Trust, Avon Wildlife Trust and The Belmont Estate will be building on the success of the last 4 years of the Wilder Waterways partnership project continuing to deliver improvements to the Land Yeo river catchment through this funding.
The project will be looking to engage the community through walks, talks and activities focused on water quality monitoring, habitat restoration, ongoing management and species recording. In addition, the project will look to expand landowner engagement and undertake a fish pass feasibility study on the weir within the Belmont Estate.
Blue Business Awards
Wiltshire Wildlife Trust will be developing Blue Business Awards in Westbury and Trowbridge. The awards will provide a set of criteria for businesses to meet to achieve a bronze, silver or gold award which they can display at their business and include as part of their business communications and public relations.
The awards will help educate companies about the challenges facing our rivers, and support them to reduce water pollution, improve water quality and cut the use of water within their own organisation. Initial criteria that will be considered in the awards will be in-house river champions, river-based volunteering from the firms, rainwater reuse, consideration of the products used by the firms and their impact on water quality and financial contributions to support the scheme.
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Catchment News
Chippenham Radial Gate & River Avon Improvement Project
The options being discussed are: replacing the existing gate with a more modern structure; removal of the gate and re-naturalising the channel upstream; and replacing the gate with a series of low rock weirs. The outline design is hoped to be completed by the end of 2023, with the detailed design expected in 2024. Construction is due to start in summer 2025 and is expected to last 18 months.
Chippenham Radial Gate. Photo Credit: Environment Agency
Natural England- Citizen Science Pilot 2024
Working alongside Natural England, The Natural History Consortium are delivering a Citizen Science Local Pilot across the Wessex region, which includes the Bristol Avon catchment. The pilot will work towards organising a more coordinated approach to citizen science on a Wessex-wide scale and support collaboration.
The pilot will be funded by Natural England, and will be looking for cooperation and input from partners across the region. The BACP will be feeding into this process and will share more information as the pilot develops.
If you have any other questions relating to the pilot, please contact us: info@bristolavoncatchment.co.uk.
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National News
Pet treatments impacting our rivers’ health
24 environmental and veterinary organisations are calling on the UK government to take actions and ban all pesticides from pet medicines that are not permitted in agriculture, three of which are the chemicals mentioned above.
The Rivers Trust have published an article surrounding the issue, which can be read here.
New nature reserve opened near Marlborough
Wiltshire Wildlife Trust have opened a new water meadow and chalk stream nature reserve in the North Wessex Downs National Landscape, on the outskirts of Marlborough. Bay Meadows was purchased in 2022 to protect it from the threat of development and preserve it for both nature and the community.
The 30 acres of restored water meadows is home to over 300 species, including otters and water voles, and provides a nature-based solution to mitigating climate change by allowing water to be slowly released over dry periods to help sustain wildlife. A range of community engagement activities have also been carried out on the site, such as conservation work, wildlife walks, and den-building, which also help deliver the Trust’s Marlborough Wellbeing Programme.
Read more about the reserve on the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust website.
People at the opening of Bay Meadows. Photo Credit: Wiltshire Wildlife Trust
£1 million investment in Nature’s Recovery- Somerset Catchment Market
The Somerset Catchment Market has secured £1 million for new nature projects, which will deliver phosphorus mitigation in the Tone and Parrett Catchment in Somerset. This is a great example of how investment can be unlocked by high integrity Nature Markets. Visit the Somerset Catchment Market website to find out more.
The Somerset Catchment Market is an environmental services market that aims to accelerate the delivery of nature-based projects such as the creation of new woodlands and wetlands across Somerset. For more information visit https://www.somersetcatchmentmarket.uk
The Somerset Catchment Market was developed through a collaboration that included:
• EnTrade; https://www.entrade.co.uk