47. Manor Road Park to Osborne Road to A1081, Parkway
Themes: Community engagement and participation; Promoting appropriate and sympathetic land management
Objectives:
- Increase public access to and involvement in the river
- Improve existing wildlife corridors
- Increase the amount and quality of habitat
Project description
The catchment partnership has an aspiration to create an access link and associated river improvements to link the work at Manor Road Park to the A1081 to the south prior to the route entering Luton Hoo.
We will promote this aspiration through the planning process for the re-development of the Vauxhall site and historic links further south from Osborne Road to Parkway are also being looked at.
The corridor between Osborne Road and Manor road is very steep, in places, (particularly at the point the river Lea leaves Manor Road Park (per picture) and has high density factory/office buildings on either side that currently does not permit access to review the area in any significant detail.
For the section from Osborne Road to A1081 the aspirations for the river are to create in-channel features by channel narrowing and improving the riparian habitat. Also, to establish reed margins and clear a central channel with crowsfoot. A plan to undertake tree works to achieve the optimum shade and light levels to the river has also been developed.
We aim for the project to create a pedestrian access link which will be an important link for enjoyment of the whole river corridor and from key commercial and business areas into the town centre. It also links to the National Cycle Network and other local ancient footpaths.
The project will require links with many partners that adjoin/access the river corridor and events/dialogue and meetings will need to be held to engage them, the residents, third sector organisations and the community in defining outcomes.