Residents to be consulted on future of the River Rom and Grenfell Park
Date of release: February 15th 2017
Residents are being given the chance to help shape the future of wildlife in Grenfell Park and on the River Rom in Romford.
A consultation about improving access and making the park and river a place for residents and wildlife to enjoy is being held by the Roding Beam & Ingrebourne Catchment Partnership (RBI), which is chaired jointly by Thames21 and the Thames Chase Trust.
The RBI partnership wants to build a picture of how the park is currently used, what its issues are and encourage suggestions for change.
The purpose is to create a vision that can be developed with funding that has been agreed from the London Borough of Havering, the newly set up Land of the Fanns Landscape Partnership Scheme funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Environment Agency and Thames Water Community Investment Fund.
Neighbours of the area, which straddles the London Boroughs of Barking & Dagenham and Havering, can give their views at the public consultation drop-in on Saturday February 25th.
This will be at the YMCA Thames Gateway at Roneo Corner on Rush Green Road, Romford, form 10.30am to 3pm.
Anyone who is not able to attend on that date can add their comments at Romford Library from February 27th to March 3rd and also at the Millennium Centre in Eastbrookend Country Park from March 6th to 11th.
Emma Harrington, Development Manager for Thames21, said: “We want everyone who uses Grenfell Park to come along and help shape how this wonderful space could be used better.
“We want suggestions about how we can improve this area as an oasis to attract further wildlife. We are keen to enhance habitats for wetland wildlife including dragonflies and damselflies, birds such as kingfishers and mammals such as water voles.
“We’re excited about this opportunity to find out how the local river is important to people and how its link with Grenfell Park can be improved for wildlife and to increase the enjoyment people can get from visiting this stretch of river and the surrounding habitats.”
Tony Gunton, of the Havering Wildlife Partnership which is another of the catchment partners, added: “The River Rom at Grenfell Park is teeming with aquatic wildlife, but nobody finds out because the banks are too steep and the vegetation is too dense. Our aim is to put that right and make it even better for wildlife, so everyone can enjoy it.”
More details about the plan for the RBI Catchment can be found at on the catchment’s webpage.
Notes for editors
About Thames21
Thames21 is an environmental charity putting healthy rivers back at the heart of community life. Through environmental improvements, education, research and advocacy efforts, Thames21 is inspiring and influencing effective and lasting change by working hand-in-hand with communities to deliver tangible and measurable improvements for urban rivers.
www.thames21.org.uk | Registered Charity No. 1103997
Ian Lamont
Communications Manager
Thames21
07739 627 667