Roding, Beam & Ingrebourne Catchment Plan Vision Summary

The Roding, Beam and Ingrebourne Catchment Partnership.

The Roding Beam and Ingrebourne Catchment Partnership has been meeting quarterly since 2012 and is a focussed group of local stakeholders who are working together through a Catchment Based Approach (CaBA) to improve the rivers in the Roding Beam and Ingrebourne Catchment and bring direct on-the-ground benefit to people and wildlife.

The Roding Beam and Ingrebourne Catchment Partnership recognise the importance of our Rivers and Water. This resource is so important for recreation, wildlife, health, drinking, growing crops, industry, and waste water management. Collectively, we can better manage this resource by giving careful consideration to the amount of water we use or waste.

The Roding Beam and Ingrebourne Catchment Partnership recognises that this needs to be managed sustainably so that this vital resource can be passed on in the best possible condition to future generations.  Current members of the Roding Beam and Ingrebourne Catchment Partnership:

 

Roding Beam and Ingrebourne Catchment Goals

• To meet the Shared Vision for the Roding Beam & Ingrebourne Catchment, our goals are to improve:

• Recreation and raising awareness

• To improve opportunities for recreation across the catchment and in turn raise awareness to a more sustainable use of this resource and ensure it is valued and appreciated.

• River and floodplain management

• To manage flood risk and sustainable drainage; improve connectivity, manage Invasive Non Native Species (INNS) and litter.

• Water management

• To improve the way in which water is captured, waste water is managed; and to reduce nutrients in our watercourses.

• Land management

• To work with Land Managers to improve habitats, and the way in which people can access their rivers and associated green spaces.

• Investment in the Roding Beam & Ingrebourne Catchment

• To work with land managers; businesses and funding bodies to create inward investment opportunities for the Roding Beam & Ingrebourne Catchment.

 

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) and the RBICaP

The European WFD became part of UK law in 2003. It gives the Environment Agency (EA) an opportunity to plan and deliver a better water environment, focussing on ecology. The WFD will help to protect and enhance the quality of surface freshwater (including lakes, streams and rivers); groundwaters; groundwater dependant ecosystems; estuaries; and coastal waters out to one mile from low-water.

The country has been divided up into River Basin Districts, which are then subdivided into Catchments. The Roding Beam & Ingrebourne Catchment falls within the Thames River Basin District. WFD requires a management plan to be drawn up for each River Basin District and this plan needs to be reviewed and updated every six years. River Basin Management Plans were first published in 2009 and are currently being updated.

The Roding Beam & Ingrebourne Catchment Plan (RBICaP)

The Roding Beam and Ingrebourne Catchment Partnership have considered the available information on this catchment to create a Catchment Plan. The single document has been compiled from data contained in each of the three original Roding, Beam and Ingrebourne Draft Catchment Plans and through direct workshop consultations.

 

Shared Vision for the Roding Beam and Ingrebourne Catchment by 2027

The Roding Beam & Ingrebourne Catchment is one which meets the objectives of the WFD and achieves Good Ecological Status.

The Roding Beam & Ingrebourne Catchment provides naturally functioning ecosystems with a diverse and thriving wildlife.

The Rivers Roding, Beam and Ingrebourne will be valued and enjoyed by local communities and people will visit these areas as a destination for recreation and leisure.

The Rivers Roding, Beam and Ingrebourne will be free from Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS).

The Rivers Roding, Beam and Ingrebourne will be free from pollution and have reduced siltation.

As a result of an effective Catchment Based Approach to the Roding Beam & Ingrebourne Catchment, stronger partnerships are formed between communities, businesses,landowners and managers.

The Roding Beam & Ingrebourne Catchment is recognised as an exemplar and the clear Catchment based Approach improvements achieved since 2012 are evident on the ground.