Agenda item

This report presents progress on the Brent Reservoir / Welsh Harp Management Plan since the last meeting of the Committee and during the 2023/24 year to date. The Management Plan is jointly managed by the three main land-holding organisations: Brent Council, the London Borough of Barnet, and the Canal & River Trust.

Leslie Williams (Project Officer, Brent Council) presented a report that outlined progress on the Brent Reservoir/Welsh Harp Management Plan since the last meeting of the Committee and during the 2023/24. Firstly, the Committee was advised that the Action Plan, attached as Appendix 1 of the report, provided notes and updates on issues and projects.

Since the previous Committee meeting, a site visit was held with officers of the Canal & River Trust to explore options to re-start work to manage the growth of scrub on the marshland of the shores alongside Neasden Recreation Ground, as shade continued to reduce the marshland vegetation on the south-western shore of the Reservoir alongside Neasden Recreation Ground. Furthermore, a new grounds maintenance contract had commenced on 1 August 2023, with Continental Landscapes Ltd, for the operational works in Brent Council’s parks and open spaces. This included the Welsh Harp Open Space, Neasden Recreation Ground and Silver Jubilee Park although it did not involve work on the marshland or woodland.

The Committee was informed that the Council was considering the potential details for a Welsh Harp Post-16 Skills Resource Centre to replace the current portacabin building, which would provide young people and young adults with special educational needs with work experience and volunteering opportunities. In addition to its main proposed use, it was also explained that there was the potential for third sector and community organisations to use the building outside of curriculum time. However, confirmed details for the proposals were yet to be announced.

A reminder was provided to members that the Priestley Way trash screen should not be accessed by unauthorised personnel due to health and safety concerns that the site presented.

In handing over to Lewis Elmes (Environment Agency) to update the Committee on pollution incidents, Leslie Williams thanked members for their involvement in a range of volunteer activities such as the Healthy Walks Programme. In thanking Leslie Williams for the introduction, Lewis Elmes detailed that work relating to the sediment issues discussed in the previous Committee meeting was ongoing, with surveys identifying areas of further concern which were being rectified over the coming weeks. While the issue had seemed to be resolved as no sediment had been identified for a number of months, members heard that fresh sediment had been spotted in recent days. Once work had been completed to resolve the issue, a review of the site would be undertaken to search for any additional problems and updates would be provided to the Committee.

Lewis Elmes also informed members of ongoing issues upstream, with multiple misconnected properties identified at Edgware Brook which was resulting in fat, oil and grease blockages, in addition to 17 misconnected properties elsewhere upstream. It was explained that Thames Water was contacting impacted properties and both the Environment Agency and Thames Water were reviewing how many properties were incorrectly discharging into the water network. So far, the issue had been rectified at a few properties which included a business. However, work was still ongoing with the Environment Agency and Thames Water meeting weekly to discuss and review misconnections.

Following the conclusion of their updates, the Chair thanked Leslie Williams and Lewis Elmes and opened the discussion to Committee members, with questions and responses summarised below:

•         Regarding the use of the Welsh Harp Skills Resource Centre, members expressed disappointment that the Centre would largely be used for young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities as the site had benefitted generations of young people who would now not be provided similar opportunities. In outlining that exposure to nature was both physically and mentally beneficial, the Committee queried the rationale behind the decision. In response, members were signposted to the report considered at Brent Council’s May Cabinet meeting on the topic, as the report provided a holistic explanation for the decision. However, the Committee was informed that there would be scope for community organisations to use the facility outside of curriculum hours, although final details were yet to be confirmed.

Having thanked Leslie Williams and Lewis Elmes for the update, and with no further queries, the Committee AGREED to note the update.