Warwickshire Avon Catchment Partnership

1. General information

Location and description of the intervention

City or FUA

Coventry

Region

Europe

Native title of the NBS intervention

Warwickshire Avon Catchment Partnership (WACP)

Short description of the intervention

The catchment includes the River Avon (a major resource for recreational activities and public water supply) and its various tributaries. Coventry is the largest urban area in the catchment, and the catchment has a high value for wildlife. (Ref. 1)
Main priorities include engaging communities to take ownership of their local water environment, reducing urban and rural pollution; delivering enhancement projects in the 3 Priority Areas (e.g. Coventry Brooks) and Returning water corridors to a near-natural state. (Ref. 2). The Catchment Based Approach (CaBA) is a Government policy framework that empowers local action to improve the water environment through community partnerships. A renewed focus on the catchment-based approach has led to Catchment Partnerships (i.e. The Warwickshire Avon Catchment Partnership) being set up to drive local delivery of these projects. (Ref. 3)

Address

United Kingdom

Location

The NBS is a city-wide initiative, the GIS point marks the centre of the city

NBS area image

Source of NBS area image

Ref. 2.

Type of area before implementation of the NBS

Agricultural area or farmland

Public Greenspace Area

Other

Please specify “other type of area” before implementation of the NBS

catchment area (Ref. 1,2)
"it is a largely rural catchment... with some large urban conurbations, notably: Coventry... Agriculture accounts for a high proportion of the land use" (Ref. 3)

Website of the intervention

http://www.catchmentbasedapproach.org/severn/warwickshire-avon

Timeline of intervention

Start date of the intervention (planning process)

2014

Start date of intervention (implementation process)

2014

End date of the intervention

ongoing

Present stage of the intervention

Ongoing

Please specify "other" stage of the intervention

The Warwickshire Avon Catchment Partnership (WACP) was initiated in 2014. (Renewed focus on the catchment based approach has led to Catchment Partnerships being set up to drive local delivery.) (Ref. 3)

2. Objectives of the intervention

Goals of the intervention

Overall objectives of WACP are to identify and reduce urban/rural pollution; engage communities to take ownership of their local water environment; deliver enhancement projects (e.g. in Coventry Brooks); return water corridors to a near-natural state, and enhance governance and partnership. (Ref. 2)

Quantitative targets

Deliver at least 2 practical projects per year (and use these as demonstration sites). (Ref. 2)

Monitoring indicators defined

Unknown.

Sustainability challenge(s) addressed

Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)

Habitat and biodiversity restoration

Water management (SDG 6)

Flood protection

Improvements to water quality

Health and well-being (SDG 3)

Enabling opportunities for physical activity

Creation of opportunities for recreation

Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)

Inclusive governance

Effective management

What types of restoration goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?

Ecosystem-focused

What activities are implemented to realize the restoration goals and targets?

Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems

Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)

Restore ecological connectivity

Public engagement

Implementation activities

Developing and costing up proposed projects from the ‘Coventry Brooks Plan’ (e.g. the Guphill Brook project; including creation of pools, wildflower and wetland plants etc.). (Ref. 2)
Reducing impact of diffuse pollution through: Implementation of SuDS, reedbeds (e.g. Longford Nature park reedbed restoration in Coventry). (Ref. 2, 1)
Deliver at least 2 practical projects per year (and use these as demonstration sites). (Ref. 2)
Habitat restoration workstreams: provide habitat to facilitate water vole recolonization or potential re-introduction via wildflower seeding and planting (Guphill Brook); enhance fish habitat via plug planting and native tree planting (Ref. 2)
Provide volunteering opportunities for locals to actively care for their area and build life-long connections with nature (Ref. 2)
The management of every parcel of land, small or large, in rural or urban areas can help to reduce flood risk for the 800,000+ people living in the Warwickshire Avon catchment. (Ref. 3)

Type of NBS project

Maintenance and management of urban nature

Management and improved protection of rivers and other blue areas

Ecological restoration of ecosystems

Protection of natural ecosystems

3. NBS domains, ES and scale

NBS domain and interventions

Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented

Blue infrastructure

Rivers/streams/canals/estuaries

In-land wetlands, peatlands, swamps, and moors

Other

Green areas for water management

Sustainable urban drainage systems

Grey infrastructure featuring greens

Riverbank/Lakeside greens

Please specify "other blue area"

"The Warwickshire Avon Catchment Partnership recognises that this catchment is a large and complex system of interlinked and interdependent rivers, canals, wetlands and water bodies affected by many different land uses." (Ref. 3)
-including creation of pools and reedbeds like the Longford Nature park reedbed restoration in Coventry (Ref. 1, 2)

What is the level of innovation / development of the NBS related to water management?

Medium / High: sustainable urban drainage systems which include water storage and diverts water flooding

Vegetation Type

Grass

Trees

Other

Please specify how many trees were planted

Unknown

Amenities offered by the NBS

Unknown

Services

Expected ecosystem services delivered

Provisioning services

Water (surface and ground water for drinking and non-drinking purposes)

Regulating services

Flood regulation

Water purification / filtration

Habitat and supporting services

Habitats for species

Cultural services

Recreation

Intellectual interactions (scientific and / or educational)

Physical and experiential interactions with plants and animals

Social and community interactions

Scale

Spatial scale

Meso-scale: Regional, metropolitan and urban level

Beneficiaries

Primary Beneficiaries

Local government/Municipality

Non-government organisation/Civil Society

Private sector/Corporate/Company

Citizens or community groups

4. Governance and financing

Governance

Governance arrangements

Co-governance with government and non-government actors

Non-government actors

Other

Please specify other non-government actors involved

Charity/ Trust (Ref. 2, 3)

Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative

-The “catchment partnership is being hosted by Warwickshire Wildlife Trust and the Severn Rivers Trust. (Ref. 1)
-The “catchment partnership is being hosted by Warwickshire Wildlife Trust and the Severn Rivers Trust. Partners include: Campaign for Farmed Environment, Country Land and Business Association, Coventry City Council, Environment Agency, Forestry Commission, Natural England, National Farmers Union, Severn Rivers Trust, Severn Trent Water, Warwickshire County Council, Warwickshire Rural Hub, Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, Woodland Trust, Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, Amenity Forum, Independent landowners.” (Ref. 1, 2)
-Consultants to initiative include Wild Trout Trust (Ref. 2, Ref. 5)

Key actors - initiating organization

Private foundation/trust

Land owners

Other

Please specify other Key actors - Other stakeholders involved

Charity (Ref. 2, 5); "independent landowners", listed as partners to the project (Ref. 2)

Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)

National government

Regional government

Local government/municipality

Public sector institution

Non-government organisation/civil society

Citizens or community group

Private sector/corporate actor/company

Business association or network

Private foundation/trust

Other

Please specify other participatory methods

Scientific, citizen science and volunteer monitoring methods will be used. (Ref. 1)

Land owners

Other

Please specify other land owner

Country Land and Business Association and "independent landowners" listed as partners to the project (Ref. 2)

Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used

Dissemination of information and education

Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)

Citizen monitoring and review

Other

Please specify other landowner

Country Land and Business Association and "independent landowners" listed as partners to the project (Ref. 2)

Policy drivers

NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy

Yes

Please specify the "Regional Directive/Strategy"

The Water Framework Directive (through: The River Sherbourne joins the River Sowe in the Warwickshire Avon catchment). (Ref. 4)

NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan

Yes

Please specify the national regulations/strategy/plan

The Catchment Based Approach (CaBA) is a Government policy framework that empowers local action to improve the water environment through community partnerships. A renewed focus on the catchment based approach has led to Catchment Partnerships (i.e. The Warwickshire Avon Catchment Partnership) being set up to drive local delivery. (Ref. 3)

NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan

Unknown

Mandatory or voluntary intervention

Mandatory (based on policy)

Intervention is mandatory

Environmental regulation

Enablers

Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project

Yes

Please specify

Action for Wildlife in 'Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull Local Biodiversity Action Plan' which includes the Water Vole (the Water Vole is included in the sub-project River Restoration: Guphill Brook, Coventry). (Ref. 1)

Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project

Unknown

If there is a relevant strategy or plan, please specify the theme / type of the plan.

Biodiversity strategy or plan

Water regulation strategy

Please specify other vegetation type

"low-lying undulating hills" (Ref. 3)
"Rivers and wetlands", "wildlife" (Ref. 3)
"reedbed" (Ref. 3)
"in-stream vegetation" (Ref. 2)
"280m² buffer strip grassland" (Ref. 2)
"wildflower habitat" (Ref. 2)
floodplain; Black poplars; brook, and wildflower; wetland plants; pools (Ref. 1)

Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project

Yes

Please specify

Sherbourne Partnership. (Ref. 2)
Local Biodiversity Action Plan Partnership (Ref. 1)

Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project

Yes

Please specify

'Feasibility Study and Initial Design Report' by wetland specialist consultants, funded by Warwickshire Wildlife Trust (in connection to the sub-project River Restoration: Guphill Brook, Coventry). (Ref. 1, 2)

Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project

Yes

Please specify

Funding from e.g. the Environment Agency. (Ref. 1, 2)
(Catchment Partnership Action Fund)

Co-finance for NBS

Yes

Co-financing governance arrangements

Unknown

Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?

Set up for multiple NBS interventions, including this one

Financing

Total cost

Unknown

What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?

Unknown

What are the total amount of expected annual maintenance costs?

Unknown

What is the expected annual maintenance costs of the NBS or GI elements?

Unknown

Please specify cost savings

Unknown

Please specify total cost (EUR)

Unknown, however: For one of the WACP workstreams (Guphill Brook): £24,500 [27000 EUR] funding from CPAF; £1,250 [1400 EUR] Coventry City Council staff time input 5 days; £5,900 [6600 EUR] volunteer hour input; £600 [670 EUR] Staff time input additional discussions with Middlemarch Environmental 2 days; £1,500 [1680 EUR] Management time input 5 days (Ref. 2)

Source(s) of funding

Public local authority budget

Public national budget

Private Foundation/Trust

Type of fund(s) used

Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)

Other

Please specify other type of fund used

in-kind contributions by Coventry City Council. Also, funding from e.g. the Environment Agency. (Ref. 1, 2)

Non-financial contribution

Yes

Type of non-financial contribution

Provision of labour

Who provided the non-financial contribution?

Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)

Citizens (e.g. volunteering)

Other

Please specify other Business model

Habitat restoration

Business models

Risk reduction model

Other

Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?

Public actor (e.g. municipality)

5. Innovation

Type of innovation

Technological

Infrastructural innovation

Social

Governance innovation

Cultural innovation

Please specify technological innovation

Reducing impact of diffuse pollution through: Implementation of SuDS, reedbeds (e.g. Longford Nature park reedbed restoration in Coventry). (Ref. 1, 2)

Novelty level of the innovation

The innovation is copied/derived from previous initiative(s) with substantial adaptation

Please specify novelty level of the innovation

Builds on previous measures e.g. planting project funded by Woodland Trust in 2013 (planted 3,515 native broadleaf trees, covering 10 hectares, of local provenance along the banks of watercourses and across the above farms in the catchment). (Ref. 1)

Replicability/Transferability

The innovation is transferred to new initiative(s) with substantial adaptation

Please specify Replicability/Transferability

There is an action plan for the Catchment Partnership Plan, including measures to be taken from 2017 to 2020 (see 'Warwickshire Avon Catchment Delivery Action Plan 2017- 2020'). (Ref. 5)

6. Evaluation and learning

Impacts, benefits

Environmental impacts

Water management and blue areas

Improved water quality

Increased protection against flooding

Enhanced protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems

Green space and habitat

Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems

Increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales

Increased conversion of degraded land or soil

Reduced biodiversity loss

Improved prevention or control of invasive alien species

Enhanced support of pollination

Increased spread of native/heirloom/open-pollinated seed

Description of environmental benefits

Longford Nature park reed bed restoration in Coventry, and creation of pools beside the brook to provide flood refuge for fish, increase flood capacity and enhance the connection with the floodplain. Black poplars were planted beside the brook, and wildflower and wetland plants seeded and planted on the excavated spoil and in the created pools (Guphill Brook project). (Ref. 1)
Provide habitat to facilitate water vole recolonization or potential re-introduction via wildflower seeding and planting (Guphill Brook) (Ref. 2)
Builds on previous measures e.g. planting project funded by Woodland Trust in 2013 (planted 3,515 native broadleaf trees, covering 10 hectares, of local provenance along the banks of watercourses and across the above farms in the catchment). (Ref. 1)

Economic impacts

Unknown

Description of economic benefits

Unknown

Please specify other environmental justice issue

pollution remediation: Longford Nature park reed bed restoration in Coventry, and creation of pools beside the brook to provide flood refuge for fish, increase flood capacity and enhance the connection with the floodplain. Black poplars were planted beside the brook, and wildflower and wetland plants seeded and planted on the excavated spoil and in the created pools (Guphill Brook project). (Ref. 1)

Type of reported impacts

Achieved impacts

Indicators

Environmental, social and economic impacts

Water management (SDG 6)

Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)

Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)

Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)

Analysis of specific impact categories

Job creation: The NBS created ...

Voluntary work opportunities

Environmental justice: The implementation of the NBS project resulted in ...

Improved access to green and/or blue spaces

Other

Please specify other method used to evaluate the impacts of NBS

"The Catchment Partnership will contribute to the CABA reports and evaluation annually. Individual projects will be measured by the outputs identified, and the delivery methods used will be evaluated and reported on. Scientific, citizen science and volunteer monitoring will be used as appropriate to measure success of projects. Engagement of people and organisations will be monitored via the partnership and via responses to consultations on the Catchment Plan and development of new projects." (Ref. 3)

Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?

No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project

COVID-19 pandemic

Unknown as of 28 August 2020

Methods of impact monitoring

Process of recording NBS impacts

Collection of monitoring data continuously throughout the project to aid evaluation

Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS

Focus groups

Other

Where can this data be accessed? Please include a link to a report or web-page.

http://severnriverstrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Warwickshire-Avon-Partn…

Evidence for use of assessment

Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process

Yes

Presence of indicators used in reporting

Yes

Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports

Yes

Link to monitoring/evaluation reports

http://severnriverstrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Warwickshire-Avon-Partn…

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

Yes

Link to a web-based monitoring tool

http://environment.data.gov.uk/catchment-planning/

Impact assessment mechanism

Name of any specific impact assessment tools

There is a habitat assessment (for the River Sherbourne which joins the River Sowe in the Warwickshire Avon catchment). (Ref. 4)
Also, data from Environment Agency's catchment monitoring has been used (along with River Basin Management Plans and Catchment Data Explorer; to inform the Catchment planning, and in identifying priority projects). (Ref. 1)
"The Catchment Partnership will contribute to the CABA reports and evaluation annually. Individual projects will be measured by the outputs identified, and the delivery methods used will be evaluated and reported on. Scientific, citizen science and volunteer monitoring will be used as appropriate to measure success of projects. Engagement of people and organisations will be monitored via the partnership and via responses to consultations on the Catchment Plan and development of new projects." (Ref. 3)

Link to the output of assessments

https://www.google.se/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=10&cad=rja&uact=8&…

Use of GIS in mapping impacts

No evidence in public records

Citizen involvement

Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation

Yes

Mode(s) of citizen involvement in evaluation/assessment

Questionnaire

Other

Please specify other modes of citizen involvement in evaluation/assessment

Working with locals/volunteers as well as community engagement through (letters to residents, queries answered, public workshops). (Ref. 2, 3)
"The Catchment Partnership will contribute to the CABA reports and evaluation annually. Individual projects will be measured by the outputs identified, and the delivery methods used will be evaluated and reported on. Scientific, citizen science and volunteer monitoring will be used as appropriate to measure success of projects. Engagement of people and organisations will be monitored via the partnership and via responses to consultations on the Catchment Plan and development of new projects." (Ref. 3)

Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation

Yes

Please specify

Citizen science and volunteer monitoring methods will be used. (Ref. 1)

Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment

Yes

Please specify

The Catchment Partnership will contribute to the CABA reports and evaluation annually, and the Delivery Action Plan will be reviewed at least annually. (Ref. 3)

7. Sources

References

Web links relevant to the intervention

Documents relevant to the intervention

Attachment	Size
Ref. 2 (6.5 MB)	6.5 MB
Ref. 3 (1.8 MB)	1.8 MB
Ref. 5 (219.64 KB)	219.64 KB

List of references

Ref. 1. CaBA (n.d.) Warwickshire Avon. Severn. Available at: http://www.catchmentbasedapproach.org/severn/warwickshire-avon [Accessed: 28 August 2020]
Ref. 2. WWT (2016) Warwickshire Avon Catchment Partnership. WWT, Living landscape. Precious, T. & Rowe, G. [Document provided].
Ref. 3. WACP (2017) Warwickshire Avon Cathcment Plan. Warwickshire Avon Catchment Partnership. [Document provided].
Ref. 4. The Wild Trout Trust (2016) Advisory Visit: River Sherbourne, Coventry. [Not available in 2020].
Ref. 5. WACP (2017) Warwickshire Avon Catchment Delivery Action Plan 2017-2020. Warwickshire Avon Catchment Partnership. [Document provided].

Comments and notes

Additional insights

2020 comment:
Section 6/ Habitat Assessment link (in output of assessments) is not working

Public Images

Source: Ref. 2

Source: Ref. 1

Source: Ref. 2

Pool filling to connect to brook and provide fish refuge in flood

Source: Ref. 2

Proposal from Wild Trout Trust to enhance fish habitat

Source: Ref. 2

Longford Nature Park Restoration

Source: Ref. 2

Please specify other source of non-financial contribution

For one of the WACP workstreams (Guphill Brook): £1,250 [1400 EUR] Coventry City Council staff time input 5 days; £5,900 [6600 EUR] volunteer hour input; £600 [670 EUR] Staff time input additional discussions with Middlemarch Environmental 2 days; £1,500 [1680 EUR] Management time input 5 days