At a meeting of the Full Council on 20th January 2025, Hertford Town Council agreed to support River Action’s Charter for Rivers.
Rivers have been essential to Hertford’s development over the centuries. Today, Hertford has a community of barge dwellers and visitors moored along the Lea Navigation. Sea Scouts, Herts Canoe Club and other groups regularly use the rivers at Hartham, as do wild swimmers.
The rivers at Hertford are part of the Middle Lea Catchment, which includes the Lea and its tributaries, the Beane, Mimram and Rib in this area which form a network of chalk stream rivers that are globally rare and ecologically significant. There are many agencies involved in the management of different aspects of the rivers including The Canal and River Trust, Affinity Water, Thames Water, the Environment Agency, Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust and many more stakeholders including voluntary groups such as the Friends of the Rib and Quin and leisure groups, such as angling societies and farmers.
The biggest challenge our rivers and their wildlife face today is pollution, along with over abstraction. The Rivers Trust’s ‘State of our Rivers Report 2024’ identifies that none of Hertford’s four rivers are assessed as being in a ‘good’ state; sadly, like 100% of England’s rivers.
River Action is a UK organisation which campaigns against river pollution. Its Charter for Rivers sets out a ten-point plan to restore our rivers by 2030. While not every action is directly within the Town Council’s power, the Council will do whatever is in its power to support Hertford’s rivers.
The Hertford Castle Greenspace Renewal project, where the Council is a key partner, provides an opportunity to protect and enhance the wildlife habitats of the adjacent section of the river Lea with the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The project aims to rebuild the riverbank in the Hertford Castle section, improve habitat in the back channel for native species like Water Vole and otters, and install a fish pass for fish monitoring.
In the run up to its Eco Fest in the Spring, Hertford Town Council will monitor the river and spread the word about the wildlife that make it and its banks, their home.
Hertford’s rivers are a key feature in the Council’s forthcoming policy documents, the Environmental Sustainability Strategy and the Sustainable Tourism Strategy.
The Council will work with local groups monitoring pollution and other citizen science projects, as well as explore joining the Middle Lea Catchment Partnership. It will lobby Government about changes to legislation, including integrating enhanced protections for chalk streams into planning law by implementing the Wildlife Trusts' recommendations.
The Council also supports the coalition of nature charities in their recent request to Government to formalise the Water Restoration Fund in the upcoming Water (Special Measures) Bill, so that the fines paid by water companies automatically go towards nature recovery.
Councillor Rachel Carter, Chair of the Environmental Sustainability Working Party commented: “I am delighted that the Council is talking the welfare of our rivers so very seriously. Hertford has benefitted from our four rivers for hundreds of years and we need to ensure that they can flourish for many generations to come.”
Notes:
For more information on River Action’s Charter for Rivers, see: www.riveractionuk.com/charter-for-rivers
The Rivers Trust’s ‘State of our Rivers Report 2024’ can be seen at: www.theriverstrust.org/rivers-report-2024
The Wildlife Trust’s recommendations on planning law can be seen at: www.wildlifetrusts.org/news/open-letter-chalk-streams
For details on the Hertford Castle Greenspace Renewal project, see: www.hertfordcastle.co.uk/greenspacerenewal