15 Jun 2024
Visitors to Verulamium Park have watched another year pass by with no signs of activity to tackle the flooded lakes or improve the beleaguered River Ver.
The long-awaited Revitalising the RiVer project aims to return 2.5km of the River Ver to its natural state, helping to clean out the lakes, which are suffering from silt build-up due to a reduced water flow.
A multi-million pound partnership between the district and county councils, the Environment Agency (EA) and Affinity Water, the project was originally scheduled to begin in 2019, but has experienced various delays and set-backs.
Its main aim is to improve the stream flowing through Verulamium Park to Sopwell Mill Farm, including narrowing the Ver to improve the flow, and creating riffles, pools and meanders.
The rare chalk stream which makes up the River Ver is fed from groundwater aquifers which should produce crystal clear, meandering, babbling brooks and support an abundance of wildlife.
But over time the river has been moved, widened, and flattened, often leaving it stagnant, dirty and shallow, and largely unrecognisable as a chalk stream.
As part of the work, the gravel bed will be naturally cleared of silt and the river’s concrete banks dismantled and replaced by soil, grasses and plants.
Trees currently shading the river will be thinned to allow wildlife and foliage to grow, and significant enhancements will take place in Verulamium Park to improve the water quality of its artificial lakes.
Although work was expected to begin last year, nothing happened, and now an update on the project has finally been provided by SADC which promises action.
Chris Traill, strategic director for community and place delivery explained: “We are continuing to make major progress along with our partners on the exciting and ambitious project to revitalise the River Ver, a rare and precious chalk stream, and improve the artificial lakes in Verulamium Park.
“The main focus is currently on Reach Two and Three of the project, an area which runs from the park’s causeway to the Cottonmill allotments.
“Our plans will enhance the river channel and create a magnificent wetland area to boost biodiversity.
“There will also be tree works to let light into the river channel. This will encourage more natural processes and habitats in the channel, resulting in a clean gravel bed and a more natural, resilient river.
“Funding for all of this is in place and is provided by the Environment Agency, Affinity Water and from a successful application by us to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
“Households and businesses near the neighbouring area are being briefed about these plans and I hope they will support them.
“Work is scheduled to begin during this financial year, so either later this year or in the early months of 2025.
“Reach One, which runs from St Michael’s Street to the causeway [the path that runs from the Cathedral Orchard across the park to King Harry Lane] is a much more complex and challenging undertaking, not least because it may involve changing the river’s course to its more natural state.
“We will need permissions from Historic England as this area is a Scheduled Ancient Monument due to it being on the site of the ancient Roman City of Verulamium.
“Flooding at Bell Meadow has resulted in the postponement of ground and archaeological investigations which it is essential that we carry out before finalising our proposals.
“Once the ground has dried out and these investigations are completed, we will be able to review all our Reach One plans.
“Additionally, we are working with partners to review what is financially achievable within the £2.2 million budget we have for this part of the project.”
Additional information provided by the River Ver working group said it was a hugely complicated project with many conflicting constraints, which was contributing to the delays.
Funding remains a significant challenge, and the Environment Agency estimates delivery cost for the whole project have significantly increased due to high inflation.
So why is the park flooded?
Rainfall this year has been exceptionally high. In February Herts and north London received 111 mm of rainfall which is approximately 272% of the long-term average the highest recorded since February 1951.
During April rainfall across the area remained high at 69mm recorded, 139% of the long-term average rainfall for the month.
River flow has now started to decline, but flows are still exceptionally high for the time of year, and groundwater levels in the area also remain exceptionally high recording their highest April level since 2001.
Exceptionally high groundwater levels mean the land can’t soak up the rainfall which eventually ends up flooding off the surrounding land into the river.
Road run-off also introduces pollution from the roads in the Batchwood area which floods into the river near Bluehouse Hill.
All these factors have resulted in the ongoing flooding we have seen in the park this winter season, however, it is not an objective of the Revitalising the RiVer project to prevent the park flooding.
The project is aiming to make the river and lakes more sustainable and adaptable for wildlife, while also making make the park more resilient to extreme conditions by having infrastructure that can still be utilised during flood events.
