May 2023
Message from the Chair
Spring certainly has had a cold wet feel to it, but from a water resources point of view it is of concern to note that reservoir levels are still lower than ideal in some parts of the South West. The Met Office’s long range forecast to July suggests unsettled weather will continue, but it could be hotter, wetter, and more windy than average. Sounds like those planning field work need to be prepared for everything!
I know a lot of work is planned by our partners and community groups across the catchment. Good luck with the projects and don’t forget to let us have some photos so we can highlight your successes.
Best wishes
Richard Cresswell
Chair, BACP
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Community Spotlight - Stoke Park Community Group
The Stoke Park Community Group are a group of volunteers dedicated to improving and maintaining the natural habitat of Stoke Park. They perform a range of activities around the park, such as hedge laying, path and step maintenance, tree planting, and wildlife surveys.
The community group has recently been working on a series of pond restoration activities focused on restoring a cobbled dew point next to Pale Plantation. This work has been funded by the Catchment Partnership Fund. The project began in December 2022, aiming to ensure the ponds are habitable for wildlife – particularly Great Crested Newts – and resilient to dry weather, not drying up for extended periods, as in 2022. The project is currently completing pond clearance and is moving into the restoration phase, hoping for dryer weather within the coming weeks so that the physical restoration work can commence.
The finished project will invite the wider community to enjoy walks alongside the newly restored ponds, allowing the public to explore and enjoy their local green spaces. The clearance work has already seen wildlife moving back into the ponds, which is a big success.
The group has produced two videos showcasing their work in the Pale Plantation, as well as their work in Newt Pond, another restoration project.
To read further about the Stoke Park Community Group, visit their website here.
Stoke Park Community group's work on Newt Pond, with the state of the pond above, and the groups progress below
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Bristol Avon Catchment Partnership features in the Government’s Plan for Water
Defra published their Plan for Water on 4th April 2023. The Plan sets out actions that the government will take to transform management of the water system, clean up the water environment, and create a sustainable supply of water for people, businesses, and nature. The Plan aims to “clean up our waters and ensure a plentiful supply for the future.”
Within the plan, the BACP is featured in a case study, which can be found in Chapter 1, under “Integrated approach across catchments” detailing the work the BACP has being delivering.
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Job Opportunities
Location - Home based, with frequent travel and meetings throughout the Bristol Avon catchment
Hours - Full Time, 40 hours per week. Flexibility required (some evening & weekend work)
More information - Environmental Job Vacancies - Bristol Avon Rivers Trust
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News from around the Catchment
Avonmouth Water Recycling Centre Expansion
Wessex Water are planning to increase the capacity of the Avonmouth water recycling centre, which treats sewage and wastewater from Bristol and the surrounding area. The population of Bristol is predicted to significantly grow over the next 20 years and the expansion will provide extra capacity to accommodate this.
Consultation for the expansion is now closed, but you can read the plans on the Bristol City Council website.
Credit: Wessex Water
Hinkley C - Changes to Discharge Permit
Hinkley Point C applied to the Environment Agency (EA) to change its water discharge permit in December 2022, with the request to remove reference to the acoustic fish deterrent. The EA’s proposed decision is to grant the variation on the grounds that the acoustic fish deterrent will be required to stay in place due to conditions in the Marine Licence and Development Consent Order. This decision is currently open for consultation until 25th May 2023. To view the consultation documents and to make comment, please see here.
Chippenham One Plan
Chippenham Town Council are seeking views on the delivery of their Neighbourhood plan. An element of this covers the EA's plans to replace or remove the radial gate at Chippenham and plans to improve and enhance the space around the river for the benefit of the community. The public consultation remains open until 6th June.
Sketches of proposals for the area around the river. Credit: Town Centre Partnership Board
Wessex Water Environment Fund
Wessex Water Environment fund is open until 22nd May. This fund is targeted at organisations where a small amount of money (up to £2000) can make a significant difference. Projects must demonstrate one or more of the following outcomes: involve communities in environmental activities, have a positive impact on the local environment, educate local people about supporting the environment. Priority will be given to projects that: reduce water usage, improve environmental sustainability, improve local biodiversity.
New storm overflow dashboard
Wessex Water has updated the storm overflow pages on their website. The update contains videos providing an overview of storm overflows, data from 2022, and some case studies, alongside a link to Wessex Water’s new Storm Overflows dashboard. The dashboard maps the locations of the storm overflows, with further details on improvement works planned and the timescales.
West of England Local Nature Recovery Strategy Webinar
As part of the Festival of Nature WECA will host a webinar on 13th June (19:00-20:00) covering how they are developing the West of England Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS), and how they will engage with communities and other stakeholders. LNRS are ‘a new, England-wide system of spatial strategies that will establish priorities and map proposals for specific actions to drive nature’s recovery and provide wider environmental benefits, including improving water quality and providing flood management. E-tickets available here.
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Wider News
£18 million Species Recovery Programme Capital Grant Scheme
Natural England has released another round of the Species Recovery Grants Scheme, targeting conservation action for species recovery through the creation and improvement of specific wildlife habitats, conservation translocations, research support, and creating solutions to address species decline. Grants will be available for two-year projects that are open to environmental charities, local authorities, protected landscapes and scientific institutions, amongst others
Oxfordshire and Wiltshire floodplains being restored
Funded by the Government’s Green Recovery Challenge, the Freshwater Habitats Trust and the National Trust are collaborating to restore floodplains at the Coleshill estate, on the border of Oxfordshire and Wiltshire. The project hopes to see the floodplains restored to a more natural state, for the benefits of the freshwater plants and animals that live within the habitat.
Credit: Freshwater Habitats Trust
South West Water Hosepipe Ban
From the 25th April 2023 South West Water have imposed a hosepipe ban covering Cornwall and North Devon. Water resources in the region remain under pressure and this action has been taken to safeguard these resources going into summer.
Report on regulation of the water and sewage industry
A report from the House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee has been released, focussing on the regulation of the water and sewage industry. You can read the full report here, and a response from the Rivers Trust here.
Severn Estuary Forum 2023
The outline programme for the Severn Estuary Forum has just been announced and registration is open. The Forum will take place on 8th June 2023 at Cardiff University. Register here and Outline programme here.