Restoration project gives North London rivers new lease of life

Two rivers in Barnet and Harrow will be given a new lease of life as part of the Action for Silk Stream project, a six-year initiative that works with nature to reduce the risk of flooding in the Silk Stream catchment and wider River Brent.

Action for Silk Stream is led by Barnet Council and Harrow Council, with involvement from environmental charity Thames21.

The project is funded by Defra as part of the £150 million Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Programme which is managed by the Environment Agency to develop and test new approaches to resilience tailored to local communities.

Like many of London’s rivers, the Burnt Oak Brook and Edgware Brook have been significantly modified over the last several centuries. They have been straightened, deepened and their banks have been reinforced, reducing their complexity, and their ability to support diverse communities of plants and animals. In addition, they receive inputs of pollution from several sources including sewage misconnections and road run-off.

To tackle these challenges, a section of the Burnt Oak Brook in Watling Park will be taken out of its concrete channel and given a new sinuous flow path. In a nearby part of the park, an underground surface water drain will be brought to the surface and sent through a chain of wetlands to remove pollution and create vital habitats for freshwater plants and animals.

The Edgware Brook, in Chandos Park, which is currently confined between a chain-link fence and a row of back gardens will become a more prominent feature of the park. The scheme will cut a new channel for the river, allowing it to flow through the park, blending with the landscape and providing a sanctuary for wildlife and a tranquil space for people to enjoy.

Lynn Scott, Chair of the Chandos Park Community Group, said: “Many park users don’t even know the stream exists. Asked for their views they say: ‘what stream?’ In the future it will add interest to the park as well as benefitting wildlife and helping with flooding.”

Sam Bentley-Toon, EMPOWER Rivers Programme Manager at Thames21, added: “These projects will transform the river environment, giving people a sense of the river as a living, breathing entity. It will be a thrilling moment when the river is redirected into its new channel and can find its new path for the first time.”

Construction will begin in both parks in July and is expected to be completed by spring 2025. Both parks will receive wider improvements including tree planting, new paths and enhanced children’s play equipment. The schemes are funded by Defra, Mayor of London, Barnet Council, Harrow Council and Microsoft.

Local communities have been involved in the development of these schemes since the inception of the project in autumn 2021. Local knowledge and preferences have been incorporated into the designs through a series of co-design workshops and consultation events.

Lynn Scott, Chair of the Chandos Park Community Group, said: “The upgrading of the park is much needed especially the planned improvements to the playground and overdue resurfacing of the paths. It is good to see that the planners have listened to our park group (Chandos Park Community Group). Yes, we are all looking forward to our new improved park with its walk by the stream.”

Gabrielle Bailey, founder of the Friends of Watling Park said: “I welcome the improvements to our park, which will help to make more space for nature and help re-naturalise the Burnt Oak Brook. I also welcome the proposed cafe and improved playground, which I think will help to further cement the Park as a place where all members of our community can come together.”

Volunteers have played a crucial role in the project: helping to clean-up the rivers, removing invasive species, gathering water quality data to guide action on pollution and helping to celebrate the Silk Stream and its tributaries.

Collectively the schemes will provide at least 500m³ of flood storage, holding water in the landscape, and protecting homes downstream. By restoring rivers and creating wetlands at various locations across the catchment, Action for Silk Stream, will increase the resilience of the catchment as a whole, allowing it to withstand extreme rainfall events and drought, which are increasing in frequency as a result of climate change.

The organisations involved in the Action for Silk Stream project have set their sights on several other blue and green spaces in the catchment and are in the process of developing nature-based flood resilience solutions, such as wetlands, in The Meads, Stoneyfields Park, Edgwarebury Park, Bentley Priory Nature Reserve, Beatty Road and Morecambe Gardens.