The habitat of the area where the current streams flow is typical of the Thames Valley area, with a wide variety of vegetation and wildlife. Restoring the waterways will inevitably cause some disruption to wildlife, but our preliminary assessment is that this would be limited and temporary.
When the main scheme commences, the restoration work will be done in stages, allowing one part to recover as the area of works moves onward to a new section. We are planning for most reconstruction work to be done at the optimum times of year, to lessen any disturbance to wildlife (e.g. by avoiding work on vulnerable areas during the nesting season).
The Northern section of the route would be part of Phase 2 of the waterways plans and runs from the Thames near Cliveden Reach down to the York Stream/FRC confluence on Town Moor behind the Police Station. The exact route is subject to further review, but will probably start near Cliveden Reach, passing through White Brook and then join Maidenhead Ditch by Town Moor.
The habitat on the river bed here varies from emergent reeds, rushes and sedges to semi improved grassland, with the river channel providing a wildlife corridor through largely agricultural land. Much of the proposed route would impact upon arable land which is of little ecological value, but some short term adverse impact on vegetation and wildlife elsewhere along the route will be unavoidable during the planned works.
This section would form part of the Phase 1 works and includes the most urban part of the existing channel, with both York Stream and the Flood Relief Channel (FRC) running through the town centre. The two channels split just behind the Police Station and join up again at Green Lane, where a lock is planned. Depending on the final design a further lock may be required to the north of town to maintain water levels in the restored waterways.
The channels vary in character but for the most part the riverbanks on both are natural. The vegetation is generally rough and unmanaged, mainly comprising nettles, brambles, dock, white umbellifers and bind weed. River channel vegetation varies considerably with the water conditions, from semi improved grassland at the top of the FRC to marshy herb and weed that favours wet conditions further downstream.
The lower parts of the two channels are less urbanised and have more trees (Willow, Elder, Sycamore and Oak), in the Green Lane area these overhang and obscure much of the channel. Due to their unkempt and wild condition, both channels have become significant areas for wildlife, which will need sympathetic handling during the regeneration work. Species diversity is relatively low, however, because of the variable and generally poor quality of the stream as an aquatic habitat.
Dredging and vegetation works will have a moderate short term adverse impact on these habitats, but longer term the water quality and habitats would be improved by the planned work. Vegetation clearance and tree lopping would be undertaken outside of the bird breeding season (March-July) to minimise any impacts.
This section of the waterway is already a well established river, with shrubs and trees (Willow, Sycamore, Hawthorn, Oak and Ash) overhanging the channel. Wildlife here includes birds, wildfowl and waders, insects and fish.
Construction of the waterway will mainly involve dredging, plus some tree cutting and clearance of vegetation to allow navigational use. There will inevitably be some disruption of the habitat during the works, although this would be involved to some degree under normal Environment Agency maintenance.
NORTHERN SECTION
