Silk Stream Catchment Map
Residents living in Barnet and Harrow are being invited to help shape a six-year programme of natural and sustainable projects to reduce the risk of flooding in the catchment of the Silk Stream.
Led by Barnet Council in collaboration with Harrow Council, and assisted by partners including Thames Water, Environment Agency, Metis, Thames21, Greater London Authority, Canal and River Trust, Brent Catchment Partnership, and many more, the Silk Stream Flood Resilience Innovation (SSFRI) project will use nature-based and sustainable drainage interventions with the aim of improving flood resilience, enhancing wellbeing and enriching the natural environment within the Silk Stream catchment.
The project partners have published an easy-to-use online survey for residents and local businesses to respond, which closes on 17 November.
Residents will be able to highlight areas of flooding affecting their properties and have their say on ideas such as building new wetlands, restoring stretches of river and creating new areas of natural drainage on the Silk Stream catchment to reduce the risk of flooding.
Cllr Peter Zinkin, the political champion of the project, said: “Protection of residents from the increasing challenges of flood risk and climate change is a very high priority for the council, especially in light of the recent extreme rainfall events. I welcome the opportunity to work with, the London Borough of Harrow, the Environment Agency, Thames Water, Thames 21 and other key stakeholders to manage flood risk in the Silk Stream catchment.
“I encourage residents to participate in the ongoing consultation to ensure that their concerns and issues are fully recognised from the start of the project.”
The SSFRI project is part of a £6 million, Defra-funded Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Program, managed by the Environment Agency.
The Silk Stream was selected for this initiative because it is highly urbanised catchment and it is vulnerable to flooding from surface water.
Pollution is another problem that affects the Silk Stream, coming from a variety of sources including plumbing misconnections and connectivity between the surface water and foul sewers. During high rainfall events the sewers reach capacity and these problems are intensified.
Join us to the LAUNCH of the Silk Stream Flood Resilience Innovation (SSFRI) Project on 17 November in Montrose Playing Fields, 10:30am-12:30pm
The official launch of the project will take place in Montrose Playing Fields on 17 November 2021, 10:30am – 12.30pm. Partners will gather for speeches, refreshments and exhibition materials; it is an opportunity for local press and the community to discover more about the project in person.