Thames Landscape Strategy - Hampton to Kew -

Arcadian Diary November 2003

November is always an exciting month on the river thanks to the annual ‘draw-off’ upstream of Richmond Lock. During this time, the barriers which are normally closed at low tide to maintain a navigable level of water upstream of the lock are kept open. In effect, the river reverts back to its semi-natural state, almost emptying at low tide allowing the various watery authorities to get on with essential maintenance works. But for me it provides an exciting opportunity to get down onto the riverbed to help with the draw off but I also take the opportunity to hunt for bits of long lost treasures such as tiles from Richmond Palace, old bottles, pottery, shrimps and crabs. It really is well worth an investigation.

November has also been an important time in the development of the Thames Landscape Strategy. In my last Diary I talked about the preparation of the ‘London’s Arcadia’ Heritage lottery bid which we submitted in May 2002 to implement the Strategy. It was not until April of this year however, and only after three follow up submissions that the HLF finally granted us a ‘Stage I Pass’ to proceed. It then took a further seven months to reach this stage. The formal funding appeal has now been launched, documents have been drawn up for the 122 projects and sent out for tender and a series of ‘early hits’ projects, generously funded by local contributions have been planned. It is a busy time.

The £2.3m grant from the Lottery is awarded in such a way that allowed us to apply for additional ‘Development Funding’. The Development Funds pay for all those extra costs incurred in any project including Landscape architect fees, ecologists and other specialist staff including a full-time project manager. They are awarded in addition to monies granted for works on the ground so will not eat away at the £2.3m ring-fenced for capital improvements.

The development of any lottery-funded project is a minefield of European legislation and red tape so it was with great relief that earlier last month we appointed the excellent Tim Wilson as the full time Project Manager to assist Ken. Importantly, Tim’s previous job was actually with the Heritage Lottery Fund so he knows all the tricks of the trade allowing us all to really get things moving.

Whilst the Arcadia in the City project is a long term scheme comprising 122 projects on the ground, HLF have stipulated strict criteria when granting their funds. One of their most significant requests for Arcadia was for improvement in the day-to-day management of the riverside including litter picking, grass cutting and weed control. Significantly Richmond Council granted extra funding for increased litter pickers along Richmond Riverfront particularly during the busy summer months but solutions still had to found for the rest of the riverside. Effective day-to-day management is always the key to the long-term success of any environmental project so in June of this year a new management regime was introduced for the riverside, avenues and parks included in the London’s Arcadia HLF scheme.

The riverside is a particularly difficult environment to manage. The diverse needs of wildlife, aesthetics, bio-diversity and recreation all have to be juggled. The maintenance plan had to account for the rhythms of the tide, complex ecosystems, river bourne litter, vandalism and huge visitor numbers whilst at the same time allowing people to connect with the river yet still giving the appearance of a ‘natural’ environment full of wild flowers and wildlife.

The first thing to do was to respect the monthly fluctuations in the tide. We know when the high spring tides are due (these actually take place at least once every month just after the full moon) and the river will break its banks and flood the towpath. This is particularly important when using large machinery on the riverside that can get bogged down in wet mud and in the organisation of Council and volunteer litter picks as much of the litter on the towpath is deposited on these monthly high tides. The plan allows for the litter to accumulate during the spring tides to be properly cleared away when the tides retreat. This has had a significant reduction in the overall amount of litter on the towpath and Richmond now has one of the cleanest riversides in Greater London. The trick now is to extend this approach up and down the river through out the capital and to educate people not to throw their rubbish into the Thames (and to that point plastic material down the toilet – it all has to end up somewhere!).

One of the most pleasant parts of my job this summer was developing these new management regimes, down on the riverside (usually in shorts), with the Council contractors. Each stretch of the river has to be managed differently so the key to success was finding local solutions and good teamwork. Under the management of a single supervisor (instead of six previously!) a good old-fashioned work gang was trained up and over the summer these guys got to know exactly what was needed in their patch and importantly to take pride in their work. Trees, weeds and vegetation are now managed in a much more sensible way with excellent results. For example, weeds are controlled in the town centre areas whilst allowed to flourish in the more rural parts. Trees are maintained to allow riverside views without destroying the splendid habitat and character they provide.

This has seen a huge improvement already but there is still a long way to go. It’s often finding ways to solve these day-to-day problems that make my job so satisfying. Seeing a family picnicking by the river on a spot that was previously a jungle of weeds and overgrown vegetation, or a clean and tidy riverfront on a hot summer Sunday morning or, a coot nesting in a un-polluted backwater of the river is what it is all about. That’s what makes it special.

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