January 2024
Spotlight - Brinkworth Brook
Within the Brinkworth Brook Catchment in North Wiltshire, Wessex Water has been involved in delivering a pilot project that provides investment for on-farm infrastructure to reduce the amount of phosphorus and nutrients entering the Brinkworth Brook. The investment has funded in-field interventions, such as hard bases for livestock drinkers and water course fencing and farmyard infrastructure development, such as manure storage pads and roofing of manure storage areas.
Wessex Water has worked closely with Lancaster University, since September 2022, to help understand the amount of phosphorus moving from farmland to the Brinkworth Brook before the infrastructure investment. It has also estimated how much less phosphorus is entering the Brinkworth Brook following implementation of the interventions on the farms.
Lancaster University created a method to estimate the baseline of phosphorus entering the Brook from farmland. The overall model estimated Wessex Water’s infrastructure interventions resulted in an estimated 103 kg per year reduction in phosphorus entering the Brinkworth Brook. The reduction in the transfer was made up of around 7 kg per year from in field interventions, and 96 kg from farmyard infrastructure. This reflects the importance of the role of suitable infrastructure in management of manure. It is worth noting this methodology has considerable uncertainty as there has not previously been much research in this area and there is a lack of previous information.
If you would like more information on this pilot project or to find out more please contact info@bristolavoncatchment.co.uk and we will put you in contact with the relevant people at Wessex Water.
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Success for the Lower Chew Landscape Recovery Project
A project within the Bristol Avon catchment has secured funding from the second round of Defra’s Landscape Recovery scheme.
The Lower Chew Landscape Recovery Project is one of 34 projects in the country to receive funding from the second round of the government scheme. The project is led by Avon Needs Trees, who are working in partnership with the West of England Combined Authority, Bristol Avon Rivers Trust, Bath & North East Somerset Council, West of England Nature Partnership and Forest of Avon Trust. Avon Needs Trees has also recently joined the Chew Valley Reconnected Partnership and will be looking to align this project with the wider work being scoped and delivered within this sub-catchment.
The project will make a significant and lasting difference for people and nature across nearly 2,500 acres of land south of Bristol. In different parts of the landscape, interventions will be delivered over the twenty year project lifespan and a focus will be on: creating new woodlands; protecting existing woodlands; enhancing wildlife corridors, grasslands and soil health; improving river health and natural flood management; and providing access to nature.
To find out more about the project please see Avon Needs Trees website. For national scale project information please see the Government Press Release.
The Lower Chew Landscape Recovery Project is one of 34 projects in the country to receive funding from the second round of the government scheme. The project is led by Avon Needs Trees, who are working in partnership with the West of England Combined Authority, Bristol Avon Rivers Trust, Bath & North East Somerset Council, West of England Nature Partnership and Forest of Avon Trust. Avon Needs Trees has also recently joined the Chew Valley Reconnected Partnership and will be looking to align this project with the wider work being scoped and delivered within this sub-catchment.
The project will make a significant and lasting difference for people and nature across nearly 2,500 acres of land south of Bristol. In different parts of the landscape, interventions will be delivered over the twenty year project lifespan and a focus will be on: creating new woodlands; protecting existing woodlands; enhancing wildlife corridors, grasslands and soil health; improving river health and natural flood management; and providing access to nature.
To find out more about the project please see Avon Needs Trees website. For national scale project information please see the Government Press Release.
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Catchment news
Hinkley C- Public consultation opened
A public consultation has opened regarding changes to the Development Control Order (DCO) for Hinkley Point C nuclear power station.
EDF are inviting the local community and relevant stakeholders to make comment on a number of significant changes to the DCO for the power station, with the consultation running from 9th January to 29th February 2024.
The consultation includes changes, such as removing the requirement to install an acoustic fish deterrent on the ends of the four massive cooling water intakes. The acoustic fish deterrent was identified as a requirement by the Environment Agency to scare fish away from the intakes and reduce the risk of them being drawn into the cooling water system.
If the changes to the DCO are approved, the acoustic fish deterrent will not be included. EDF are proposing a compensation package to offset the impact of a lack of an acoustic fish deterrent on the fish populations associated with the Severn Estuary. The proposed compensation package includes an area of saltmarsh, seagrass and oyster beds, and modification of weirs on the River Severn and some welsh rivers to improve fish passage. It does not include any specific measures to help fish migrating to and from the Severn Estuary into the Bristol Avon.
This is of great concern, especially in view of the huge efforts being made by partners to improve the Bristol Avon, as per the recently published Bristol Avon Fish Recovery Strategy. The BACP is currently working with key stakeholders and wider catchments around the Severn Estuary that will be impacted by this recent change to respond to this consultation. If you have any questions or would like to speak to the BACP team then please email: info@bristolavoncatchment.co.uk
To view a brief background document outlining concerns for the Bristol Avon catchment, please click here.
To read more about the consultation and respond, visit the EDF’s website here.
EDF are inviting the local community and relevant stakeholders to make comment on a number of significant changes to the DCO for the power station, with the consultation running from 9th January to 29th February 2024.
The consultation includes changes, such as removing the requirement to install an acoustic fish deterrent on the ends of the four massive cooling water intakes. The acoustic fish deterrent was identified as a requirement by the Environment Agency to scare fish away from the intakes and reduce the risk of them being drawn into the cooling water system.
If the changes to the DCO are approved, the acoustic fish deterrent will not be included. EDF are proposing a compensation package to offset the impact of a lack of an acoustic fish deterrent on the fish populations associated with the Severn Estuary. The proposed compensation package includes an area of saltmarsh, seagrass and oyster beds, and modification of weirs on the River Severn and some welsh rivers to improve fish passage. It does not include any specific measures to help fish migrating to and from the Severn Estuary into the Bristol Avon.
This is of great concern, especially in view of the huge efforts being made by partners to improve the Bristol Avon, as per the recently published Bristol Avon Fish Recovery Strategy. The BACP is currently working with key stakeholders and wider catchments around the Severn Estuary that will be impacted by this recent change to respond to this consultation. If you have any questions or would like to speak to the BACP team then please email: info@bristolavoncatchment.co.uk
To view a brief background document outlining concerns for the Bristol Avon catchment, please click here.
To read more about the consultation and respond, visit the EDF’s website here.
(Water intakes for Hinkley C Nuclear Power Station placed in Severn Estuary. Image Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTGCklznOs0)
Local Nature Recovery Strategy Consultation
A first draft of the West of England Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) is nearing completion, and the West of England Combined Authority is planning to launch a public consultation on the draft LNRS in mid-March 2024. Extensive stakeholder engagement across the region has been conducted to inform the Consultation Draft, and this will be the chance for everyone in the West of England to provide their thoughts on the priorities for nature recovery set out in the LNRS. Further information on how to get involved in the consultation will be provided nearer the time.
The consultation for the Wiltshire and Swindon LNRS is expected in the first half of 2025. To find out more on the Wiltshire and Swindon LNRS please visit their website.
Missed one of our newsletters?
Like our newsletters? Want to find something from a previous issue? Missed a newsletter in the past? Our newsletters are now archived on our website and available to view. We have also begun publishing minutes from our Steering Group meetings. Both are available on our resources page on the BACP website.
Fisheries Improvement Programme Fund Open
The Fisheries Improvement Programme Fund is now open until 14th February 2024 with £730k available to be split between projects. New funding available for fisheries projects across England - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Projects must provide an angling benefit, and projects can include Coarse, trout and eel habitat/passage projects; management of prolonged dry weather and/or climate impacts; and angling infrastructure. Application guidance and detailed eligibility criteria can be found at: Fisheries Improvement Programme - Angling Trust
We would be keen for anyone to submit projects which are aligned with the Bristol Avon Fish Recovery Strategy and meet the funding criteria. If you have a project idea you would like to discuss with us please let us know and we will support join up where possible.
As part of the South Bristol Communities Reconnected Project, Bristol Avon Rivers Trust and Your Park are organising a family event on 14th February alongside the Pigeonhouse Stream, Bristol. The event will be filled will family-friendly activities, such as a river scavenger hunt and river art.
Read more about the event and book your slot here.
We would be keen for anyone to submit projects which are aligned with the Bristol Avon Fish Recovery Strategy and meet the funding criteria. If you have a project idea you would like to discuss with us please let us know and we will support join up where possible.
Love Your River
As part of the South Bristol Communities Reconnected Project, Bristol Avon Rivers Trust and Your Park are organising a family event on 14th February alongside the Pigeonhouse Stream, Bristol. The event will be filled will family-friendly activities, such as a river scavenger hunt and river art.
Read more about the event and book your slot here.
BBC Radio 4- Year long feature on River Avon
The BBC are featuring the Bristol Avon in a year-long investigation to study the effects of the river on the environment, the communities, and wildlife that lives around it, especially in relation to the poor state of rivers in our country. The first episode begins in Conham, Bristol, and interviews Rebecca Blease wh0, in 2021, led a campaign to raise awareness of water quality issues in the Bristol Avon.
Listen to the interview on the Today Programme here, at the 2.20 hours mark.
Listen to the interview on the Today Programme here, at the 2.20 hours mark.
£3m boost to protect environment in South Gloucestershire
Wessex Water are investing £3 million into water treatment facilities outside both Wotton-under-Edge and Wickwar, South Gloucestershire. New equipment and upgraded processes will help protect watercourses in the area from chemicals such as phosphorus, ammonia, and nitrogen which are harmful to the health of our rivers.
Read more about the investment on Wessex Water’s website.
Festival of Nature returns 1st – 9th June 2024
Festival of Nature is the UK’s largest annual celebration of the natural world. The dates for the 2024 event taking place across Bristol and Bath have been announced as 1st-9th June. The Festival of Nature team are always keen to include new events, workshops, performers and artists at Festival of Nature. So, head to their website to register your interest if you’d like to offer your support.
For more information and to stay up to date on Festival of Nature please see their website.
For more information and to stay up to date on Festival of Nature please see their website.