Cator Park, London Borough of Bromley
“Thank you to the local community who participated in our first public consultation event on 4th December 2024 and engaged with us at the Friends of Cator Park and Alexandra Recreation Ground AGM on 8th January 2025, and to the park users who have contributed by sharing your views and questions via email.
We’ve put together an FAQ section to answer the questions and feedback we’ve received so far. Please read on to learn about what the restoration proposal is and why, view the FAQ and find out how you can stay involved.
Together working with you, our partners and volunteers, we can create a more resilient, biodiverse, and accessible River Ravensbourne for future generations.”
Catriona Ross & Jo Goad – Thames21 team
CATOR PARK RIVER RESTORATION PROPOSAL
The Ravensbourne catchment consists of four Water Framework Directive (WFD) river water bodies: Pool, Quaggy, Ravensbourne (Catford to Deptford) and Ravensbourne (Keston to Catford) within the Thames River basin district.
These rivers have the potential to be ecological assets and places of beauty, however, like many urban rivers in London they are burdened by pollution, concrete-lined banks, and engineered modifications that compromise its ecological functionality.
Cator Park features multiple watercourses that converge to form the River Pool. The Beck and Chaffinch Brook join at the centre, flowing south to north, while an additional culverted watercourse, historically known as the Wilmore River or Penge Boundary Stream, enters approximately 80 meters downstream.
These watercourses lack natural features such as marginal habitats and dynamic channel beds due to their artificial structure and fencing along their entire lengths. Their shallow, laminar flow further limits conditions for aquatic life, while the river remains disconnected from its floodplain due to steep vertical concrete banks.
To address these challenges, we are proposing a comprehensive river restoration project. This initiative aims to create space for the river to meander, reconnect it with its floodplain, and restore essential habitats. By enhancing flood resilience, improving biodiversity, addressing barriers to fish passage, and supporting public recreational amenities, this transformation will help mitigate the effects of climate change-induced droughts and floods, ensuring a healthier and more sustainable ecosystem.
Surrounding the river are expansive areas of amenity grassland, a children’s play park and landscaped parkland.
WHY RESTORE THE CHAFFINCH BROOK AND RIVER POOL?
Climate change is on our doorstep, so we need to bring the river back to its natural state to make it healthy to withstand potential flooding and protect the areas, homes and businesses that surround it.
We propose to re-naturalise the heavily modified Chaffinch Brook by removing artificial modifications and the newly realigned the channel will have a total length of 331 meters, enhancing its natural hydromorphology (the physical character of the river), and improving its ecosystem.
The remaining section of the existing channel will undergo enhancements to improve water depths year-round for fish movement and to create a pseudo-meandering planform within the channel. This will be created using in channel low-level berms.
There is a growing movement towards natural flood management (NFM) which works with nature to slow the flow of water entering rivers, create natural flood storage and reconnect rivers to their flood plains.
The project will actively involve the local community in river restoration efforts, engaging in activities like vegetation management, clean ups and river restoration activities.
Enhance Biodiversity
We need to protect our natural habitats and wildlife. So, we aim to improve the ecological health of the Chaffinch Brook, Pool and its riparian zone by reconnecting habitats, increasing species diversity, and creating a new wetland and in-channel features that support a thriving ecosystem.
Reduce Flood Risk and Improve Climate Resilience
Implementing restoration measures such as floodplain reconnection, bank reprofiling, and wetland creation, will enhance flood storage capacity, slow water flow, and increase resilience to extreme weather events.
Increased Amenity and Recreation Value
It will enhance community engagement with the river through improved public access, recreational spaces, and educational opportunities, fostering a greater connection between people and nature while providing aesthetic and health benefits and long-term stewardship.
Overall, we aim to work with our volunteers, partners and the local community to make a real difference in building climate resilience in our rivers and help to protect them for people and for wildlife.
WHEN WILL THIS HAPPEN?
To protect communities against flood risk into the future and to allow improved access to and engagement with the river, we will undertake activities through a phased approach, detailed here in the Cator Park project timeline.
Ultimately, the delivery and subsequent phases of the project depends on multiple factors, including securing landowner permission from the London Borough of Bromley, obtaining sufficient funding, and addressing any constraints posed by the current financial climate.
Public Consultations 2025
Four high-level conceptual designs have been developed in the first phase of the project by For Love Of Water (FLOW). The fourth design option will be taken forward through the concept design process. This is a collaborative process to bring together the user needs of Cator Park, Friends of Cator Park and Alexandra Recreation Ground and the project stakeholders.
Please click here to read the FAQs section based on questions we’ve received so far from members of the public.
WHAT ARE THE RESTORATION OPTIONS?
The following four design options were shared with stakeholders and park users at the first onsite consultation event on 4th December:
Option 1 – Do nothing, leave the river in the concrete channel.
(DESIGN OPTION 1 IMAGE -TBC)
Option 2 – In-channel Enhancements
Option 3 – Channel Realignment, Option A
Option 4 – Channel Realignment, Option B
GET INVOLVED
Your feedback is essential in shaping the project to meet the needs of both the local environment and community.
We welcome your thoughts on the proposed restoration so please get in touch by email, to either ask a question that has not yet been answered on the FAQs or to let us know if you want to be kept up to date with project updates and public consultation events by email. Please email Catriona/Jo at T21Ravensbourne@thames21.org.uk
The next Public Consultation Event will be organised for Summer 2025. Please look out for posters in Cator Park advertising the date.
ABOUT THE RAVENSBOURNE CATCHMENT PARTNERSHIP
A key aspect of this project is the partnership work through the Ravensbourne Catchment Improvement Group (RCIG). This formed in 2012 in order to represent a wide range of local stakeholders with a shared interest in improving the whole Ravensbourne catchment system to benefit local people and riverine habitats.
Formed as part of the UK Government’s Catchment-Based Approach initiative, catchment partnerships help implement obligations for protecting and improving water environments under the Water Framework Directive .
The RCIG hosts a wide range of partners such as the Environment Agency, Thames Water, Bromley Council, Bromley Town Parks and Gardens and other community groups. This partnership working is crucial to the success of local projects and ensures that all stakeholders are onboard with opportunities to improve river habitat throughout the catchment.
WFD Info: https://environment.data.gov.uk/catchment-planning/WaterBody/GB106039023260
Cator Park Optioneering Project (Phase 1 and 2) is funded by the Environment Agency WEIF programme, to be delivered by Thames21.
We would like to thank our partners for all their support. We are working in partnership with:
