The CaBA Learning Workshop

Case Study

The Wandle Catchment Plan and

its Delivery

19th February 2014

Dr Bella Davies

Wandle Trust / South East Rivers Trust

Summary

• Background to the Wandle Trust/SERT &

the Wandle Catchment Plan

• Development of the Wandle Vision &

Catchment Plan

• Project Delivery

• Next steps

Wandle Catchment

© Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. London Borough of Sutton. 100008655X. (2009)

• South London

• 23 km; 200 km2; ~1 million

• HMWB - flood; urban (x2)

The River Wandle

“the best and clearest stream near

London” (Sir Humphry Davy, 1828)

The River Wandle

The Wandle Trust: Who We Are

• Mid-1990s: volunteer group of concerned local

residents and anglers

• 2000-2: became a company & charity

• 2006: ‘Wandle Trust’

• 2007/8 a new era:

i. A Rivers Trust

ii. Began more restoration work

iii. Pollution; compensation = staff + Catchment Plan

• 2013: South East Rivers Trust

“An environmental charity dedicated to restoring

and maintaining the health of rivers across south

east England”

The South East Rivers Trust: Who We Are

• Mid-1990s: volunteer group of concerned local

residents and anglers

• 2000-2: became a company & charity

• 2006: ‘Wandle Trust’

• 2007/8 a new era:

i. A Rivers Trust

ii. Began more restoration work

iii. Pollution; compensation = staff + Catchment Plan

• 2013: South East Rivers Trust

“An environmental charity dedicated to restoring

and maintaining the health of rivers across south

east England”

Development of the Wandle CP

• Quite a long history – 2008 onwards

• Can’t rush the process – gain trust, discuss, investigate

• Part of the journey rather than the goal; iterative process

• Needed funding

• Began ‘selling’ the idea (2009/10) so people were on

board when Catchment Pilot concept announced – £5k

• Set up a Steering Group (2011) to help guide the process

LB Wandsworth, LB Merton, LB Sutton, LB Croydon,

Environment Agency, Natural England, National Trust

(MHP), WVRP Trust, Beddington Farmlands, LWT,

WWF-UK, Angling Trust, Thames Water, Sutton &

East Surrey Water, The Rivers Trust

Development of the Wandle CP

• Whilst developing, ensured undertook delivery of ‘no

brainers’ & emerging issues

• Shows things are being done

• Gives people the opportunity to get further involved

• Capitalised on opportunities for delivery, e.g. CRF

• Developed opportunities for delivery, e.g. HLF LPS

Approach to the Wandle CP

• Inclusive & involving of the local community but

underpinned by science and evidence base

• Already talking about the river – WVRP Working Groups

• Setting of ‘consultation fatigue’

• Needed new engaging method to consult

• Needed to show delivery – this time it’s different

• Two stranded approach

What are we aiming

for?

What is wrong with the

Wandle at the moment?

How might we improve

the Wandle?

Technical

strand

What is the best the

river can achieve /

what might GEP look

like?

Analyse current available

data / work with tech specs

to ID what is currently

limiting ecological potential

of river

What would tech specs

recommend?

What does evidence

suggest will make the

biggest difference?

Analysis &

Reporting

Relate what the

community wants to

what an ideal state is

and what technically

could be achieved =

Vision

Analysis of data, technical

& local info with reference

to literature to produce an

evidence-based

assessment of current

limitations

Any conflicts between

priorities for improvement?

What’s needed at different

spatial scales?

= A Plan of what’s

needed and where

Community

strand

In an ideal world, what

would you like the river

to look like?

What and where are the

problems which are

preventing the Wandle

attaining that ideal state?

What do we need to do to

achieve our Vision? How

might the community help

deliver these actions?

Approach to the Wandle CP

The Wandle Catchment Plan process

• Community Consultation

• 27 workshops – ‘Ketso’ Toolkit

• Various times/locations

• 100 questionnaires

• Almost 500 people

• Over 50 groups

• Found out how people would like to get involved further

• Technical Advisory Groups

• Experts

• Topic specific

• Data collation and analysis

• Workshops; 1 to 1

The Wandle Vision

“A naturally functioning, self-sustaining chalk stream

rich in biodiversity and a haven for Londoners”

In the

community’s

words

Four aims...

Published

Oct 2012

Developed

from

workshops &

re-consulted

The Wandle Vision 1. Habitat and Wildlife: the river supports a mosaic of

habitats and high biodiversity

The Wandle Vision 2. Water: plentiful and clean, and varied in its flow speeds,

widths and depths

The Wandle Vision 3. Good access: sympathetically managed pathways

along the whole river

The Wandle Vision 4. Engagement: everyone in the catchment aware of the

river and knows how their actions can affect it.

Councils, businesses, government agencies and public

work together to improve the river

The Wandle Catchment Plan

• Focuses on ecological improvements – WFD at heart

• Access & engagement dealt with separately but projects

still help deliver

• Explores the issues with the river

• For each Aim, identifies objectives, targets & goals

Aim 1

Objective 1

Objective 2

Target 1

Target 2

Target 3

Target 4

Target 5

Goal 3

Goal 2

Goal 1 Project 1

Project 2

Project 3

• Being finalised but already out of date....

• Published document vs online?

The Action Plan Aim 1: The river supports a mosaic of habitats and high biodiversity

Objective 4 – fish & fisheries: thriving populations of native fish associated

with chalk rivers are present & able to move freely

Target 4.1 Fish can move

freely throughout the entire

length of the Wandle

Goal 4.1.1 Understand all barriers to fish movement

in different flow conditions

Goal 4.1.2 Identify all obstructions that can be

removed & seek opportunities to maximise multiple

benefits (e.g. habitat improvements)

Goal 4.1.3 Where obstructions cannot be removed

(e.g. for flood control measures) identify options to

enable fish passage, e.g. technical fish pass,

bypass channel

Goal 4.1.4 Raise funds and implement options

Projects; indicative costs; crossover with other plans

Project delivery – supports (deliver) CP, move to GEP

Project Development: ‘Living Wandle’ • HLF LPS; £2 million

• 12 Partners, 25 projects to engage the community with the river

and help them make a difference

• Includes ‘Delivering the Wandle Catchment Plan’ – river

enhancement and restoration activities.

• Used CP process to gauge volunteering interest to develop

projects

0

10

20

30

40

50

Online responses

Paper responses

Project Delivery: Carshalton Water Body • WFD – Failing for fish

• Suspected causes

• barriers – prevent movement; impoundment = silt

• poor habitat

• contaminated sediments preventing successful

recruitment

• Response

• Remove barriers where possible & restore habitat

• Ensure fish passage at remaining barriers

• Investigate silt contaminants & trap/remove if

needed

Project Delivery: remove barriers & restore habitat

• ‘No brainer’ - had already started

Project Delivery: Ensure fish passage at remaining

barriers; remove barriers; restore habitat

Project Delivery: Ensure fish passage at remaining

barriers; remove barriers; restore habitat

Designs by Opus

Delivery this financial year

(hopefully!)

Project Delivery: Investigate silt contamination

• MSc by research – QMUL

• Contributed to costs of lab analysis

• Found metal concentrations

exceeded levels at which they can

have an effect on freshwater biota

for Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn

• Found severely contaminated by

13 PAHs

Project Delivery: Tackle silt & associated pollutants

• Investigated surface water drains

• Silt Traps – HVC

Project Delivery: Tackle silt & associated pollutants

• Installation of ‘Downstream Defenders’

• First time they had been retrofitted...

Project Delivery: Tackle silt & associated pollutants

• Monitoring of ‘Downstream Defenders’

• Sampling sediment in DD for heavy metals & PAHs

• Upstream & Downstream chambers with auto-

samplers (TW): particle size, volume, contaminants

• Lower cost, lower tech options,

e.g. mycofiltration, Siltex

• Important for ‘No Deterioration’

• EA receive ~2 – 3 minor (Category 3) incidents on the Wandle each week

• EA cannot always attend quickly enough to catch the pollution

• Collaborative Pilot programme with EA

• Pollution Assessment Volunteers

• Training developed by WT & EA; delivered by WT

Project Delivery: Pollution Monitoring

Next Steps

• Put the plan online and develop update system

• Continue delivery – involve community

• Use plan to direct fundraising

• Review the structure & governance of the

Wandle Steering Group in light of CaBA &

publishing the CP

• Work with local authorities to give the CP more

weight in planning (e.g. SPG)

Summary

• Plan your plan & its process – don’t underestimate time

& thought required

• Consult; Listen; investigate – make sure the right

people are involved (go to them if you need)

• Be aware of current issues, e.g. floods – use as a hook

but inform yourself & know how to prevent it taking over

• Collate & digest – identify issues

• Collective planning – on what to do about the issues

including project development

• Evidence based action

• Delivery – with partners where appropriate

• Inform – everyone what you’re doing & why

Ketso for Catchment Planning

Workshop

• Training in how to plan & use Ketso as a tool

for catchment planning

• 7th March 2014, London

• £20 (subsidised) includes refreshments &

lunch

http://ketsoforcatchmentplanning.eventzilla.net

Thank you