This meeting was about the ongoing management of the Welsh Harp. Updates on the key work being done was scheduled to be provided by officers from both Barnet and Brent Councils, and a verbal update on the most recent work undertaken by the Canal and River Trust was also scheduled.

The Welsh Harp Management Plan

The Welsh Harp / Brent Reservoir Management Plan was scheduled to be discussed by the committee. The most recent version of the plan dates from 2016. An action plan ¹ details the long term aims and ambitions of the three councils who are responsible for the site.

The 2016 plan was created before the three councils involved declared a climate emergency. All three councils have since published strategies that supersede elements of the 2016 plan.

Brent Council, in particular, were scheduled to provide an update on the contribution that the management of the Welsh Harp makes to their current strategies. This included consideration of how the management of the reservoir contributes to their Climate and Ecological Emergency Strategy 2021-23.

The Welsh Harp Vision

The meeting was scheduled to receive an update on the delivery of the ambitions set out in the Welsh Harp Vision document, which was published in July 2023. The report pack for the meeting notes that the vision is still in development, and that:

Funding and/or resources for the Vision have been provided by the partner organisations.

However, it also notes that the group are now looking for external funding. One source of funding being considered is an application to the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Progress on Actions Since July 2024

The meeting was also scheduled to receive an update on actions taken since the previous meeting, and since the start of the 2024/2025 financial year. This included an update on the work being done to control invasive species, like Japanese Knotweed and Giant Hogweed.

Barnet Council were scheduled to report on progress with the West Hendon Playing Fields Master Plan. In particular, they were scheduled to report on the outcome of the public consultation that took place during 2024.

Brent Council were scheduled to report on their ongoing work to finalise designs for the new Welsh Harp Centre. They intend for the centre to act as a horticulture centre, and although funding for the project has been agreed, officers were scheduled to note that:

there were constrained but the team has tried to accommodate.

Recent Work on the Reservoir

The meeting was also due to receive an update on the work that was completed to dewater, dredge and then refill the reservoir between October 2023 and May 2024.

In particular, the committee was scheduled to discuss the installation of seven new 'rum rafts' in August 2024.

There was also scheduled to be discussion of the mouse walls that were constructed to facilitate the draining of the reservoir.

Maintaining the Marshland

The minutes show that one of the main points scheduled for discussion was the ongoing work to maintain the marshland around the reservoir. Much of this work is currently done by volunteers.

There was scheduled to be discussion of the ecological value of coppicing some of the trees and scrub around the reservoir to allow more light to reach the marshland. This would:

lead to benefits including increased light to the marshland edge, for the benefit of the marshland vegetation, enhanced views across the reservoir; and reductions of the wind shadow for water wind-sport users.

The Environment Agency Update

The final significant item on the agenda was to be a verbal update from the Environment Agency on their recent work at the reservoir.

The agenda notes that there were no formal reports to be presented to the committee, so it is not possible to summarise what was scheduled to be discussed in their update.

However, the report pack does include a detailed summary of the issues that the Environment Agency are involved in at the Welsh Harp. This includes the trash traps on the Dollis Brook and Silk Stream that capture rubbish that is being deposited further upstream.

The report pack notes that:

As the screens collect waste that has been deposited in the river upstream, frequent and large quantities of waste can continue to accumulate in the river upstream of the screens. Inevitably, some smaller items will flow through the screens into the reservoir.

The agenda for the meeting notes that, as of August 2024, the Environment Agency will no longer allow the public to access the trash screens.