Town residents demand action over 'eyesore' river

More than 600 people have signed a petition calling on authorities to deal with an "eyesore" section of river in Market Harborough.

Residents have raised concerns over potential flood risks due to overgrown vegetation along parts of the River Welland, while others have commented on the state of the river's appearance.

The East Mercia Rivers Trust (EMRT) has embarked on a £36,000 council-funded project to improve the river's flow in Welland Park.

But residents are calling on the authorities to do more to remove overgrown vegetation.

Joel Webster said he was concerned about safety [BBC]

The Welland runs through the centre of the market town, flowing beneath several footbridges that connect shops and restaurants.

It is the overgrown vegetation around these areas that has become a source of concern for residents.

Joel Webster, who has lived in Market Harborough for three years, said the river no longer looked safe and could pose a danger to children playing nearby.

"If someone fell in, or a child was playing, they wouldn't genuinely know there's a river down there," he said.

"It's not very good looking. I understand it's natural and it's not industrial waste, it's just plants that have overgrown. But it needs tidying up to look better."

Another resident, Don West, said he had seen the river in a poor state for several summers but it was even worse this year due to the heatwaves.

"Everyone's just very disappointed in how much of a mess it is," he said.

"Someone needs to step up and take responsibility for these areas and do something about it.

"It's very overgrown and you can't see much of the river along the stretch through town."

Bruce Durham, from the Harborough Woodland community group, explained that the area's lack of natural shade combined with the summer drought had been a contributor to the overgrowth.

"You can walk through the park and there are sections where there's almost no weed growth," he said,

"And then you walk just 100m along the river and it's completely choked with growth."

East Mercia Rivers Trust says it wants to foster greater education and understanding of the wildlife living around the river [BBC]

Sam Valman, senior programme manager at East Mercia Rivers Trust, said that education and understanding on the wildlife within those areas could be an alternative solution rather than maintenance.

"It's an exciting thing, when you realise what's actually in there. Someone recently got excited about a water vole that was living in there when we told them," he said.

"The natural system doesn't really need that much maintenance, we understand that having a flowing river through a town is a good thing", he said.

"But as soon as you start putting it in towns and start making it look how you want it to look, it inhibits what the river can do to deal with things like weed growth or deal with periods of drought or periods of flood. It's much more constrained"

"We're doing what we can. That's what the enhancement project upstream aims to do - to create an area that people can appreciate."

An Environment Agency spokesperson said: "This petition shows how much the local community values the River Welland.

"This year's hot, dry weather has led to increased weed growth in many rivers across the region.

"The Environment Agency only carries out maintenance where it's needed to manage flood risk, but we welcome projects that benefit both wildlife and local people."

A Harborough District Council spokesperson said the authority "remained committed to improving biodiversity".

While the council does not directly manage the River Welland, it said "it works with volunteers and local partners on litter clearance and riverbank maintenance".

They added that the council was "continuing to work with partners to balance maintaining an attractive environment with supporting biodiversity along the river."

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