36. Riverside strategy
Themes: Community engagement and participation; Promoting appropriate and sympathetic land management; Improving water quality and water quantity
Objectives:
- Improve local knowledge and understanding of the river and the issues facing it
- Increase public access to and involvement in the river
- Promote the river as a community and educational resource
- Promote action to reduce households' water consumption and pollution
- Reduce flood risk
- Improve existing wildlife corridors
- Control or eradicate invasive non-native species
- Increase the amount and quality of habitat
- Reduce pollution through physical improvements around the river
- Work together to investigate and implement solutions to manage and minimise sources of pollution
- Educate the general public and local businesses about its role in water quality and quantity improvements
Project description
The partnership intends to pull all aspirations for our activity into a riverside strategy. An initial discussion between partners, led by the Environment Agency, has taken place and the approach supported.
The benefits of the approach are seen as:
- Taking a strategic, place-based approach
- Maximise the environmental, social and economic benefits of our work
- Bring partners together to create a joint long-term vision
- Ensure that riverside and wider development takes place in a planned and integrated way
- Support the Government's 25 year Environment Strategy
The Environment Agency and Luton Borough Council are now identifying the first phase of work to be undertaken.