A BRAND new riverside park is in the pipeline as part of plans to make the Leam and Avon rivers safe places to bathe.
An audience – which included council representatives, the Environment Agency, Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, and other key river users – were given an insight into exciting plans, which will see around £78m invested into 50km of the region’s rivers as part of Severn Trent’s Green Recovery Plan.
The water company announced last month that it is trialling the use of ozone disinfectant across the county in a move that, it says, could help revolutionise the future of wastewater treatment.
Ozone wastewater disinfection technology works by cleaning waste water before returning it to the river in its most natural state. If successful, it will be rolled out to create better bathing rivers across the whole country.
The meeting, on Friday (October 7), was geared at enabling community members and stakeholders to hear more.
And at the same meeting, the Leader of Warwick District Council (WDC), Coun Andrew Day gave a presentation outlining plans for the creation of Elizabeth Park, a new Leam riverside open space stretching from Princes Drive in Leamington to Emscote Road bridge in Warwick.
Subject to raising the funding required, this new destination park would provide safe, off-road, foot and cycle connections, board walks enabling improved connections to the river, recreational areas and riverbank public swimming areas.
Coun Day said: “Severn Trent’s plans to improve water quality offer significant benefits for our residents. The Bathing Rivers scheme creates an opportunity to establish a new park in memory of our late Queen, where young and old alike will be able to come and enjoy a range of water-based and waterside activities. This scheme would improve the connection for active travel between Leamington and Warwick, enhance the biodiversity of a river flood plain area and re-establish an easily accessible green space, suitable for a wide range of community uses.”
Wilfred Denga, Bathing Rivers Lead at Severn Trent, added: “It’s been wonderful to be able to share our vision for the project here in Warwick district. We had a diverse audience that are really invested in what’s happening in their area, demonstrating just how important our rivers and their environments are to us all.”
Mr Denga added: “We’re really thankful to everyone who made the effort to come to this session and for the valuable input they made. Without the input from our communities, this project will not be successful – as after all, we’re doing this work so that those who live here, or visit, can benefit from healthier, cleaner rivers.”
Find more infiormation visit stwater.co.uk/bathingrivers
