Harringay online

Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

What happened to the river in LA when it was concreted (Photo: Edited from an original by Vittoria Di Palma)

Courtesy of a Tweet from the New River Renewal Campaign (NRRC), I learned with horror last night that Thames Water are planning to line with concrete the section of the New River from Green Lanes to the Woodberry Down Reservoir.

Neither the NRRC website nor the wisdom of the web offers much information on the plans, but as I understand it, according to an answer given by Thames Water's "Sustainabilty Director'. "The New River leaks and Thames Water Engineers believe it leaks here and that they must do something about it."

There's a Drop-in meeting at the Redmond Centre on 14th September, which may be worth attending, but it might also be just a few low-level employees manning a stand with a few leaflets. 

The NRRC website is at www.newriverrenewal.co.uk.

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And we'll be paying for it! 

Not a vey helpful image or comparison. Anyone interested in the proposal might do better to read the Q&A with Thames Water from page 6 in the New River Renewal Campaign's document.

Thanks for the link. It's a shame TW sent a freshwater biologist to do the Q&A rather than any engineers! I too wonder about the "with horror" tho - is the issue the proposed use of concrete?

No pleasing some people, James. The point was to make you aware of it - which you now are. 

This is an appalling idea. Channelisation just leads to faster water and more likelihood of flash flooding. There is also a lot of nature that calls the new river home and the grass banks are a huge natural asset to the area and wildlife. 

I certainly think it's time the rubbish content and weed-choking of that part of the river were addressed - shame it seems to have taken the prospect of massive local redevelopment to focus Thames Water's attention on the issue after decades of neglect. I can't speak to the leaks, but I've noticed that the Woodberry Wetlands often suffers from bad-smelling algae in the river there. Glad to see that so many knowledgeable local people are challenging the plans.

Surely they just need to repair the puddling.https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puddling_(civil_engineering)

The Q&A states that concrete will only be used for the bed of the river, and not the sides or the banks. You  won't see Danny & Leo racing along it any time soon!

The Q&a also reveals that some residents want the leaks to be ignored because their property-values  might be hurt if the drying ground leads to subsidence.

Mmm, that my be reasssuring were it not for Thames Water's abysmal environmental protection record. Looking after the environment doesn't seem to even be on theor radar.

In 2019, "half of serious incidents of pollution being due to Anglian Water and Thames Water". On 12 July this year, the Times reported that "Thames Water last year had its worst record for serious pollution incidents in almost a decade".

Like 90 percent of Uk water compamies, it is owned by international investors. On 11 July this year, the Everning Standard reported that, 

The company is privately owned by a mix of people and businesses. The consortium of pension funds and sovereign wealth funds owns the entire business. The largest shareholder as of July 2023 is the Canadian pension fund Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (Omers) — about 32 per cent. Other investors include China’s biggest sovereign wealth fund, China Investment Corporation — almost 9 per cent; the UK’s biggest private pension fund, the Universities Superannuation Scheme — 20 per cent; and Infinity Investments, a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority — 10 per cent.

I'm delighted to read that you appear to trust Thames Water. I can't say that I do.

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