Halstead River Walk
Management Plan – Draft Proposals
Richard Parmee
Tree & Landscape Officer
Braintree District Council - May 2014
Contents
Page1 / Introduction / 2
2 / Description / 3
3 / Vision / 8
4 / Strategies / 8
5 / Management / 9
6 / Interpretation / 12
7 / Monitoring / 12
8 / Consultation / 13
9 / Action Plan 2014 – 2024 / 14
10 / Maps / 15
1. Introduction
Halstead River Walk lies both upstream and downstream of the town centre, providing the town with a link to the wider countryside beyond. It consists of open space largely of natural appearance, crossed by a number of paths and bordering both the river, residential and industrial areas. The walk is important both for town residents and local wildlife.
Recent land transfer to Braintree District Council, coupled with subsequent access improvements and a public consultation exercise, has prompted the need to produce a management plan encompassing the entire site. The lack of any management plan presents problems: management can appear disjointed lacking clear direction, creating conflicts, and causing confusion over both what is being done and why. The key reasons for producing this plan are to:
· Provide coherent management – to ensure that management has purpose, makes sense and is consistent throughout the site;
· Increase public support and understanding – to provide information on what is proposed and why, and reduce problems encountered by those using or living adjacent to the site through the use of:
· Increase public engagement – both encouraging residents and site users to let us know what they want from the site, and promoting increase public active participation in the site’s management through the creation of community groups;
· Enhance biodiversity – ensuring that there is no overall loss of the numbers and range of species and habitats present, instead seeking to make the site richer in both through improved management;
· Improve function of site in wider landscape – managing the site to allow it to continue providing ecosystem services, visual enhancement and connectivity through the town to the open countryside beyond.
2. Description
2.1. Site Details
Name Halstead River Walk
Area 4.5ha (including Riverside Court)
Grid Reference TL 810308 – TL 824301
District and County Braintree, Essex
Conservation Status None
Nature of Legal Interest Owned by Braintree District Council (excluding Riverside Court)
Access Free pedestrian access throughout; no public vehicular access or parking; management vehicular access is possible from Parsonage Street and Bullfinch Drive (Nether Court section) and Chapel Street (Broton Drive section).
2.2. Site Description
Halstead River Walk is comprised of two main areas:
· The public open space mostly known as Nether Court, lying north of the River Colne downstream of the town centre, connecting Parsonage Street to the west and the Bluebridge Industrial Estate to the east, and;
· The path and river bank running south of the River Colne upstream of the town centre, starting at the footbridge from Sainsbury’s car park in the east, passing Riverside Court and the Broton Drive Industrial Estate before ending at open space north of the football ground.
In total the walk occupies approximately 4.4Ha (update), the majority of which is within the Nether Court section.
Public access is possible along the entire length of the walk using both recently created surfaced paths and a network of more informal paths. The two sites are linked by a range of paths within the town centre and connect to public rights of way that extend into the surrounding countryside (see section 2.8 below).
The vast majority of the walk is maintained so as to retain its natural appearance whilst encouraging public access. Formal open space is already provided within the town centre (Halstead Public Gardens and other open space) and the contrasting feel of this site provides residents with the opportunity to enjoy natural surroundings and associated wildlife within easy reach of their homes.
The walk offers opportunities for a range of activities including informal play, dog walking, exercise, engaging with the natural environment, and alternative pedestrian access between the town centre and surrounding area.
As well as providing public benefits, the walk also has several other environmental roles, including:
· Habitat provision – the site contains a number of different habitats capable of supporting a diverse range of species;
· Connectivity – river corridors are important landscape features that link sites along their length. In some respects they represent major roads for wildlife, allowing species to move along their length and travel between sites. Here the river helps connect both open countryside upstream and downstream of Halstead, and open countryside with gardens, parks and other green spaces within the town;
· Ecosystem services – this refers to the often essential benefits that the natural world provides to us. Some of the more obvious examples are oxygen and firewood production, but many others are less obvious: rain and flood water storage, temperature moderation, shelter from wind, capturing pollution. Perhaps the best way to appreciate these is to consider what would be required if we needed to carry out these ourselves – the cost of constructing and running alternatives to what the natural world does for us;
· Visual softening – without the natural space, trees and other vegetation views of the urban environment would in many places be more prominent. The site helps make the town more attractive to live in.
2.3. Site History
Aside from a limited amount of history for the Nether Court area prior to its development, little is currently known about previous use of land forming the walk. Any knowledge of this would be welcomed as it may help determine the most appropriate future management. If you have any records of this, please get in touch.
2.4. Composition
Halstead River Walk contains a range of different habitats and features that are important for both its character and functionality. The key features and relevant issues are set out below:
· Secondary woodland – Whilst some mature and veteran trees are present, most of the woodland blocks consist of either new planting (provided under the planning permission) or natural regeneration (probably from a withdrawal of other uses such as grazing). This gives a woodland composition lacking in both structural and age diversity (the trees are often of the same age, species and size, with little understory). There is no ancient semi-natural woodland present;
· Meadow – These areas are assumed to result from the site’s previous use for grazing livestock. Some areas are still heavily grazed by rabbits with a low sward, whilst others have been colonised by species benefitting from higher nutrient levels resulting from periodic flooding. Some areas may have a long history of use as meadow but recent management is unlikely to have supported species that flourished under grazing;
· Riparian edges – the river banks provide habitat for a range of species suited to the conditions present and are important in allowing species to move along the river. In many places the river cannot be seen due to the vegetation;
· River – the channel is largely natural through most of the site, although it has been more heavily engineered through the town centre and to some extent upstream;
· Scrub – some of this is planted but much is the result of natural regeneration and expansion of existing areas. Blackthorn, hawthorn, elder and bramble are the main species;
· Ruderal vegetation – as much of the site lies within the flood plain the soil is often nutrient rich, favouring species such as nettle, thistle and dock that are fast-growing and suited to sites where soil disturbance is common. Such vegetation is often perceived as of low value and as weeds, yet supports a range of species;
· Hedges – Many are newly planted, but a few remnants of the pre-development field boundaries remain in places, providing more mature and persistent habitat. It is important to prevent any further loss or fragmentation of these remnants as these provide a source for colonisation of newer planting, together with cover for species crossing the site that avoid more open areas;
· Veteran trees – there are a number of large ancient trees, mostly oak, scattered across the site, most notably in Nether Court. These probably originated in a more open setting, despite now often being found within woodland. They provide valuable habitat for species such as bats and many invertebrates, but the cavities and dead wood that provide this habitat also increase the risk posed by such trees to the public;
· Mown grass – adjacent to paths and within the section fronting Riverside Court the grass is regularly mown during the growing season to prevent vegetation from causing an obstruction. Such areas are generally of low ecological value;
· Paths – these have mostly been constructed of permeable material that allows a degree of colonisation by plants. Whilst they may offer little cover they can provide basking areas for reptiles during periods of low use;
· Sculpture/furniture – seating and a sculpture (on the Broton Road section) are provided for the benefit of users.
2.5. Species
There are anecdotal observations of numerous species present or observed along the site, but currently few records. Surveys should be conducted to establish what is present and provide a base line against which to compare the effectiveness of the management plan.
Annual surveys of the River Colne catchment show that otters are now present both upstream and downstream of the site.
Due to the range of habitats present, coupled with previous land uses and proximity to residential gardens, the site contains a varied range of floral species, most typical of the habitats present. Mention of some is included in 2.4 Composition above.
At the time of adjacent residential development a reptile translocation programme took place from the development site. The remaining natural space forming the Nether Court section is likely to still be home to reptiles. The meadow areas have been observed as supporting a wide range of butterfly species.
2.6. Geology
The site lies within the flood plain of the River Colne. Much of the underlying soil is alluvial in nature, although this generally applies to the land closest to the river with soil conditions altering towards higher ground.
2.7. Hydrology
The River Colne forms the eastern boundary of the site by Broton Drive and the football ground, and the southern boundary at Nether Court. Sections of the walk are within the flood plain and subject to periodic flooding.
Between the two sections of the walk stands Townsford Mill. The mill gates and weir provide a barrier restricting movement of species along the river. The Environment Agency has proposed alterations to the mill that would provide improved species movement, but it is not clear if and when this work may take place. The consultation over this matter highlighted the importance residents place on the open expanse of water in front of the Mill.
A stream runs from within the residential development from Kestrel Drive and there are several areas of wet ground or natural springs arising within the Nether Court section.
2.8. Access
There are pedestrian and cyclist entry points to the Broton Drive section to the north of the football ground and by the Chapel Street Bridge. The Nether Court section can be accessed from Parsonage Street, Kingfisher Meadows, by 102 Nether Court, Bullfinch Drive, Chaffinch Way and the public footpath running to the east of Chaffinch Way.
Access across the site has been greatly improved with the construction of new paths. Informal paths exist as desire lines through sections of the Nether Court area, although these do not provide good access for less mobile users, nor encourage use by cyclists. Often such paths run through areas where increased disturbance may be detrimental to other aims, so improving surfacing in such areas is unlikely to be appropriate. However, maintaining such paths is beneficial in encouraging users to use them and not stray into areas of greater sensitivity.
2.9. Constraints
2.9.1. Flood Plain
Consent is required from the Environment Agency for the construction or installation of new structures within the flood plain and such structures must not reduce the capacity of the flood plain.
2.9.2. Tree Protection
The eastern end of the Nether Court section contains trees subject to a Tree Preservation Order, meaning consent must be obtained for all work bar emergency work. As the walk cannot be considered as residential land, if extensive tree removal or felling is required there may be a requirement to obtain a felling licence from the Forestry Commission.
3. Vision
Halstead River Walk will thrive as an accessible natural open space within the town benefitting both local biodiversity and the population of Halstead, providing opportunities for residents and visitors to experience the diverse range of wildlife it supports.
4. Strategies
In developing this management plan it is important to have clear approaches on how the vision will be achieved. Five key strategies are set out below that shape the site’s future management.
Provide open access to all: encourage use by as wide a range of users as is practical –
· improve access opportunities through better surfaces and entrances, where appropriate;
· improve maintenance of paths, particularly keeping them clear of obstruction;
· making the space welcoming;
· promote site as part of wider walks provision;
Benefit wildlife: improve the quality and range of habitats –
· manage to conserve and enhance species and habitats, and diversity of these;
· control access to provide space for nature and minimise disturbance;
· allow for adaptation to changing conditions in response to climate;
Build and strengthen green connections: enhance function as a corridor for wildlife –
· ensure site connects with adjacent green spaces;
· improve or create connections;
· prevent isolation;
· improve species mobility;
Get people involved: provide opportunities for the public to engage with nature and participate in management –