Roding, Beam & Ingrebourne (RBI) Catchment Partnership
The Roding, Beam and Ingrebourne river catchment
The catchment consists of three separate Thames tributary river systems; the Roding, the Beam (known as the Rom before it meets the Ravensbourne) and the Ingrebourne. Together, these rivers and their tributaries form the RBI catchment.
It covers an area of 200 miles square (516 km square), with its rivers flowing through the rural areas of Uttlesford, Brentwood, Epping Forest and Thurrock before reaching the urban north-east London boroughs of Redbridge, Havering & Barking and Dagenham.
The Roding, Beam and Ingrebourne Catchment Partnership
The Roding, Beam and Ingrebourne (RBI) Catchment Partnership brings together local organisations and community groups across these three river catchments in order to achieve river improvements which benefit the people and wildlife living there.
Our vision: to enhance, conserve and improve the health of the water environment in the Roding, Beam and Ingrebourne catchment, for the benefit of people and wildlife now and for future generations.
The RBI partnership was formed in 2012 as part of the UK Government’s Catchment Based Approach (CABA) initiative to help meet the objectives of the Water Framework Directive and the measures set out in the Thames River Basin Management Plan. The RBI Catchment Partnership is co-hosted by Thames21 and Thames Chase Trust.
Click here to see the Roding, Beam and Ingrebourne catchment plan
Click here to read the Terms of Reference of the Roding, Beam and Ingrebourne Catchment Partnership
What we do
The RBI Catchment Partnership meets regularly to identify new opportunities and share news about existing projects to advance the sustainable management of land and water in the area. We aim to improve the health of river and wetland environments and also boost the wellbeing of communities in the catchment. We:
- Improve habitat quality and connection between habitats by harnessing nature and restoring rivers
- Improve water quality and tackle pollution through working with land managers and water companies
- Manage flood risk through natural flood management, reconnecting rivers to their floodplain and installing sustainable drainage systems
- Improve opportunities for recreation and raise awareness of blue-green spaces to ensure they are valued and appreciated
- Gather new information and learn more about our catchment through citizen science such as riverfly monitoring, wildlife surveys and outfall safaris
- Share information, skills and bring people together working catchment-wide and with multiple organisations.
Current Projects
Many partner organisations and groups are running projects and activities, including:
- Restoration of the River Rom and its floodplain at The Chase Nature Reserve (funded by Land of the Fanns and led by Thames21)
- Restoration of the River Roding at Wanstead Park (Led by Thames21 and funded by Britvic and Essex & Suffolk Water)
- Deculverting of Seven Kings Water at Westwood recreation ground (led by London Borough of Redbridge)
- Farm engagement in the Upper Roding catchment (led by Natural England Catchment Sensitive Farming)
Catchment Partners
We are an inclusive network of organisations including local authorities, NGOs, water companies and local community groups:
- City of London (Epping Forest)
- Environment Agency
- Epping Forest District Council
- Essex County Council
- Essex and Suffolk Water
- Essex Wildlife Trust
- Forestry England
- Friends of Ingrebourne Valley and Hornchurch Country Park
- The Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) East
- Groundwork
- Havering Wildlife Project
- Land of the Fanns NLHF Project
- London Borough of Barking & Dagenham
- London Borough of Havering
- London Borough of Redbridge
- London Wildlife Trust
- Natural England
- River Roding Trust
- Thames Chase Trust
- Thames21
- Thames Water
- Vision Redbridge Culture and Leisure
Contact us
Do you have questions or project ideas? Or are you interested in joining the catchment partnership? We’d love to hear from you. Contact the catchment hosts Will Oliver (Mob 07826913307) and Dave Bigden.
