Staffordshire Trent Valley Catchment Partnership

Catchment partnership vision

Our vision is to recreate one of Britain’s great network of wetlands for wildlife and people. Our catchment will benefit from improved resilience to climate change, flooding and pollution and an improved environment. By working in partnership across the catchment we will inspire others to care for and care about their water environments. We will have a catchment that people are proud of and will enjoy living in, working in and visiting. We will have a diverse water environment with healthy rivers, lakes and canals which will attract a host of wildlife species.

Nick Mott

Related websites

Find out more about the activities and ambitions of this catchment partnership and how you can get involved to help improve the water environment in the catchment.

Catchment challenges

Current challenges identified by partnership

  • Pollution from agriculture and rural areas

    Over 70 percent of the catchment area is mixed farming, including maize and intensive dairy units, and can lead to pollution

  • Pollution from towns, cities and transport

    Conurbations located in the headwaters of the Trent, Blithe and Penk impact significantly on the catchment

  • Physical modifications

    Deepening and straightening of these rivers in urban and rural areas, weirs, reservoir and canal feeder dams

Wider water environment challenges identified by partnership

  • Connecting communities with nature

    Its crucial that local communities value, celebrate and care for their local rivers, streams and wetlands

  • Support Nature Recovery Network and Local Nature Recovery Strategy

    Nature Recovery Networks provide a blueprint to help co-ordinate meaningful partnership working and action

  • Nature Recovery, protect and enhance rare habitats including chalk streams

    Rare habitats such as Meres and Mosses, Inland Salt Marsh, Valley Mires, Fen and Tufa Petrifying Springs need to be protected and buffered

  • Protect and restore healthy soils and nutrient balance

    Valuing and protecting healthy soils is paramount for future farming and for addressing run off problems to help reduce diffuse pollution

  • Reduce storm overflows and drainage system incidents

    Severn Trent is continuing to invest in improvements to the system, but this needs to be accelerated

  • Build environmental resilience and adaptation to climate change

    Keep rivers cool with wooded buffers, restore river, floodplain and wetland habitats for species adjusting to changing conditions

Future challenges predicted by partnership

  • Pollution from towns, cities and transport

    Urban areas and infrastructure in headwaters: Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Cannock, Wolverhampton, M6

  • Pollution from agriculture and rural areas

    Ongoing intensive farming practices in some areas, e.g. Penk & Blithe, overgrazing and run off issues, soil, slurry and pesticides

  • Pollution from waste water

    An interactive map on our website shows where the latest waste water pollution incidents are in our catchment

Future challenges predicted by Environment Agency

Future challenges in 2050

  • Invasive Non-native Species
  • Pollution from Agriculture and Rural Areas
  • Pollution from Towns Cities and Transport

Emerging challenges

  • Changes to the Natural Flow and Water Levels
  • Pollution from Agriculture and Rural Areas
  • Pollution from waste water

Partnership success highlights 2016 to 2021

Recent successes include implementing the multi-partnered SUNRISE programme in Stoke on Trent and urban Newcastle-under-Lyme; SuDS retrofit and removing weirs. Significant river restoration schemes on the River Trent at former Victoria Ground, Staffordshire University, Bucknall Park and Cromer Road plus grassland and woodland enhancements to improve the habitat, biodiversity and blue-green connectivity in this urban area. Completed further river restoration schemes on the River Trent at Trentham, Milton and Weston creating more naturalised profiles, flow diversity, improved habitats and water quality. Engagement with and technical guidance provided to ‘Friends of’ groups and farmer facilitation projects at Perton, Lyme Brook, Bilbrook, the Whiston Brook and Upper Sow Catchment; implemented a Water Environment Grant funded project to support local improvements and reduce diffuse pollution. Strengthened and developed new partnerships including Transforming the Trent Valley, Forestry England, Forest of Mercia, Canal and Rivers Trust, Staffordshire University, Staffordshire invertebrate and mammal groups, Cannock Chase AONB and St Modwen Homes. Successful funding applications to Highways England for 'Stafford Brooks' which is a range of nature based solutions across Stafford to improve water quality, biodiversity and reduce flood risk. Funds from HS2 to conserve and enhance the ‘Trent, Sow Washlands landscape’.

Nick Mott

Partnership development plans

  • Update opportunity mapping with partners, local communities and volunteers
  • Catchment-wide volunteer River Rangers' team
  • Headwaters project to include the Head of Trent, Needwood Forest, Cannock Chase AONB Scotch Brook, Gayton Brook and Saredon Brook
  • Closer working with South Staffs Water, Severn Trent, Sow and Penk Internal Drainage Board and the farming sector
  • Development and implementation of natural flood management schemes across the catchment
  • More ambitious catchment-wide restoration schemes
  • Establish, support and work with more community-led groups

Partnership priority actions and measures for 2022 to 2027

  • Wider water environment

    Establish River Rangers & Riverfly team

    Reason for measure
    Connecting communities with nature
    Delivery mechanism
    Grant giving trusts and businesses
    Location
    Trent Valley Staffordshire

  • Wider water environment

    Co-ordinate and deliver water environment action for Nature Recovery Network in Stafford Borough

    Reason for measure
    Support Nature Recovery Network and Local Nature Recovery Strategy
    Delivery mechanism
    Other local funding
    Location
    Trent Valley Staffordshire

  • Wider water environment

    Protect, enhance buffer and re-connect wetland SSSI / SAC / RAMSAR site network

    Reason for measure
    Nature Recovery, protect and enhance rare habitats including chalk streams
    Delivery mechanism
    Environment Land Management Scheme (future full-scale roll-out)
    Location
    Trent Valley Staffordshire

Catchment Partnership contributors

Partners involved in the creation of this page and the actions of the partnership: