Tag: river

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Fugolburna – A Film Inspired by Waterlight

Waterlight Project team member Bruce Huett shares his recent viewing of Fugolburna, a new film about local chalk streams at Fulbourn, Cambridgeshire, inspired by our Waterlight film and highlighting both the threats to these streams and positive community responses.

On the evening of 18th July 2024 I attended a showing of the film Fugolburna: stream frequented by birds, at Storey’s Field Centre in Eddington, Cambridge. David Cottee, the producer of the film and secretary of Fulbourn Forum for community action, explained that the film had been inspired by his seeing Waterlight. Fugolburna was filmed and directed by Waterlight Project team member Nigel Kinnings, and the credits included mention of our film.

Showing 'Fugolburna' producer David Cottee at Fulbourn Fen nature reserve. From 'Fugolburna', filmed by Nigel Kinnings.
‘Fugolburna’ producer David Cottee at Fulbourn Fen nature reserve. From ‘Fugolburna’, filmed by Nigel Kinnings.

The title derives from the Anglo-Saxon name for Fulbourn: Fugulorna, meaning ‘stream frequented by birds’.  This film is also about chalk streams, but approaches the subject from a different angle. It is a film designed to send a message that the Cambridgeshire chalk streams are under serious threat from over abstraction and communities need to pull together to save local habitats.

Waterlight is a wonderful poetic celebration of Clare’s beloved local chalk stream, the Mel, with images of a vibrant stream with abundant wildlife. Fugolburna, on the other hand, has images of dried-up stream beds and water-stressed meadows. The Fulbourn Fen Nature Reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, is shown as becoming drier, affecting the special flora (notably a range of orchids) and fauna, partly ameliorated by pumped augmentation water from a remote borehole.

Showing Stephen Tomkins at dry chalk stream, from 'Fugolburna', filmed by Nigel Kinnings.
Stephen Tomkins at dry chalk stream, from ‘Fugolburna’, filmed by Nigel Kinnings.

Chalk stream and geology experts describe the problems caused by over-abstraction by the water companies from the chalk aquifer, the source of water for the chalk stream springs. Cambridge is a major site for housing and commercial development and the water needed to supply these new developments has to come from the chalk stream aquifer. Unfortunately the location of Fulbourn on the edge of Cambridge means that it is a prime site for development and already an ecologically significant piece of land bisected by a chalk stream has been lost to housing development. A large brownfield site is also currently under development for 203 dwellings.

Despite this rather depressing situation, the film includes descriptions of community actions to improve their village environment including litter picks and orchid counts.  They also have a unique project of installing swift boxes in houses and other sites around the village, which is well depicted in the film. 

Showing the chalk stream at Fulbourn Fen nature reserve. A still from 'Fugolburna', filmed by Nigel Kinnings.
Chalk stream at Fulbourn Fen nature reserve. A still from ‘Fugolburna’, filmed by Nigel Kinnings.

The film ends on a positive note, with the message that if communities unite to resist the degradation of our natural habitat then our rich Cambridgeshire biodiversity can be preserved and restored.

You can find out more about the film Fugolburna and the work behind it in Fugolburna Film – Second Screening on the blog for the Fulbourn Forum, where David Cottee says “In 2019, I saw the documentary Waterlight: portrait of a chalk stream, about the River Mel which rises in Melbourn, and had thought that it would be good to record the Fulbourn streams and watercourses to alert people to the crisis they are in. Then, during the wet winter of 2020/21, the water table rose and the springs at Fulbourn and Wilbraham started running again after a period of inactivity. I saw the opportunity of filming our chalk streams to show the effect that flowing, clean water has on the environment and to contrast that with the inevitable drying of the watercourses, both in summer and even in winter.”

As fellow Waterlight team member James Murray-White says in his recent post, Religion and Climate Futures, “I’m proud of what we as a team have created, and that Waterlight is the forerunner to a series of recent films that Nigel and I have made or helped to make, or advised, including Pure Clean Water by Tony Eva, Fulgolburna (by Nigel, for the Fulbourn Arts Group led by David Cottee, and coming soon) and Rivers of Light (made by me), about the Newmarket Chalk Stream … And these are all in our area! Maybe Waterlight has spawned a revolution in local films about chalk streams, waterways, tributaries, and confluences!”

Discover more about the Fulbourn Fen Nature Reserve in this Wikipedia article.

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Religion and Climate Futures – Waterlight Screening & Cambridge Unseen ‘Chalk Walk’

Waterlight Project team member James Murray-White writes about a recent screening of our film at Cambridge University’s Divinity School joint summer school with the LSE on Religion and Climate Futures, an accompanying Cambridge Unseen ‘chalk walk’, and the interest in chalk streams and further film making that Waterlight has helped stimulate.

Through connections to the Divinity School within Cambridge University, forged via two insightful conferences this year on the theme of water, I screened Waterlight to a group of 20 students on this summer school in the faculty on the balmy evening of 3rd July.

This followed on the heels of co-leading them on an afternoon field trip, ‘Cambridge Unseen – Chalk Walk’, as part of Water Sensitive Cambridge. Organised by co-founder Clara Todd, with associates Emma Linford (from the NGO The Stars Are For Everyone) and well-respected geologist and hydrologist Dr Steve Boreham, we led them from the Divinity School on West Road, along a planned series of eight points, looking at the geological records and the morphology of the Cambridgeshire landscape, with radical differences in climate and ecology.

Showing ‘Cambridge Unseen - Chalk Walk’ field trip as part of the summer school. Photograph by James Murray-White
‘Cambridge Unseen – Chalk Walk’ field trip as part of the summer school. Photograph: James Murray-White © 2024.

Using the rare and precious chalk-stream waterways as our key theme, we sought to peel back the layers of the present to glimpse what lies beneath, beyond our human ancestry, into cosmological and geological or ‘deep’ time. The route started with entering a portal on the West Road/Sidgewick Site campus, along West Road and onto Queen’s Green, along the Mill Pond — meeting a changed landscape, a flood plain, and a canalised waterway, as well as two old mills, one with an accessible water wheel. We then met the River Cam and Vicar’s Brook, looking at themes of pastoral and aesthetic beauty, and then discussed pollution in our waterways, both from sewage and from vehicles. Then, the final stretch, along Finch’s Walk along Hobson’s Brook, and a shifting narrative into nature’s recovery, thinking about the extraordinary resilience of nature, in a verdant lush old quarry, where coprolite was mined, and between two streams. Entering the second and final portal, the kissing gate between the Accordia development and Empty Common Community Garden, we brought the students into a circle for the closing meditation and reflection upon the journey, all the information shared within this city landscape, and gave them some time and space to digest this within the context of the summer school, with its core themes of climate and faith.

Showing Meditation on water, a photographby James Murray-White.
Meditation. Photograph: James Murray-White © 2024.

It felt highly appropriate to then be able to screen Waterlight and give them a deep dive into the River Mel, mediated by Clare’s words. In this context, the film really became an ethnographic study, picking up on the themes of place and belonging that had come up earlier on the walk.

We had pointed out the old mill at the Mill Pond in Cambridge, on Laundress Green, once the hive of industrial activity, and where a waterway had been artificially created, or ‘canalised’, for that industry. The water wheel exists inside, which can be admired while one chomps on gourmet pizza! Within Waterlight of course viewers can go inside a watermill on the Mel, and see exactly how it used to be, with the inner and outer layout of the building, land and river system, explained.

This was once cutting-edge technology, cleverly controlling flow. I’ve seen this used in creating riffles in the Mel and elsewhere, in smaller and softer examples, and wish we could apply the same knowledges and understanding to working with our waterways as healthy ecosystems.

Showing audience watching the Waterlight film

Showing the audience watching the Waterlight film, with Clare Crossman on screen. Photographs by James Murray-White.
Audience watching the Waterlight film, with Clare Crossman on screen. Photographs: James Murray-White © 2024.

Comments afterwards were really positive, with appreciation for the film’s warm feeling of community engagement and personal action; a student said she felt disempowered by angrier activist films and calls for action (although I responded that all these forms of storytelling have their place). An interesting question came up about the passing on of knowledge in terms of river action, and knowing how and what to be doing in the water — removing invasive weeds etc, given the relatively older age of the River Mel Restoration Group, as shown within some scenes.

I feel that we do show our efforts to engage the kids of Meldreth Primary School, and their game of pooh sticks, as well as our walk along the river, and them using iPads and tech to record the sights and sounds of that experiential day (not included in the film), and hope that went some way to inculcate care of the river and a lasting engagement. Let’s continue using film as a way to do this, within our communities and networks. It is probably for a longer blog post, but I’m proud of what we as a team have created, and that Waterlight is the forerunner to a series of recent films that Nigel and I have made or helped to make, or advised, including Pure Clean Water by Tony Eva, Fulgolburna (by Nigel, for the Fulbourn Arts Group led by David Cottee, and coming soon) and Rivers of Light (made by me), about the Newmarket Chalk Stream that runs from Dullingham through the racing town of Newmarket, and under the A14 (for the newly created Friends of the Newmarket Chalk Stream group). And these are all in our area! Maybe Waterlight has spawned a revolution in local films about chalk streams, waterways, tributaries, and confluences!

As well as having a fabulous impact in engagement with people loving their local rivers and working together to keep them clean and healthy, what an amazing legacy for Clare!

The screening and Cambridge Unseen field trip were part of Cambridge University’s Divinity School joint summer school with the LSE on Religion and Climate Futures.

James mentions Water Sensitive Cambridge. Do check out walks on their website.

James has recently published a review of the new book Water Beings: From Nature Worship to the Environmental Crisis by Veronica Strang. In his post for ClimateCultures James finds connections between Veronica’s research into the significance of water and his own work as a filmmaker at a time when water is under threat and we need to rebalance our elemental relationship. The post also features a Q&A with Veronica.

You can find out about any planned Waterlight screenings that are coming up on our Upcoming Events page. And there are posts about previous screenings and more besides on our blog!

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Waterlight Screening at Haverhill U3A

Waterlight filmmaker James Murray-White shares his latest screening of our Waterlight film with local audiences.

I was delighted to accept an invitation, and travelled to Haverhill at the end of last month to introduce the film to the Haverhill U3A Nature Group. They had hired the visitor centre at East Town Park for the morning, and about 25 or so members filled the space. I found it very moving to watch and hear Clare and her words again on the screen. Every time I see this I shed a tear for a dear friend, and feel we all co-created a wonderful legacy of her gifts and passion.

As it was, in fact, Burns Night that very day — to commemorate the life of Scottish National Bard, Robert Burns — I had done a quick scout around to find a suitable Burns poem on water to share, but unable to find anything that fit the bill, I opted to read them a poem of Clare’s, from her 1997 pamphlet, Landscapes (published by Redbeck Press). ‘Unknown Colour’ speaks of her beloved Cumbria, and is indeed dedicated to artist Winifred Nicholson, who also had a deep connection to that landscape; but the poem is also very broad in its dive into the territory of landscapes and elements – all of which absorbed Clare and her way of looking at the world and the landscapes she inhabited.

Showing 'Unknown Colour', a poem by Clare Crossman
‘Unknown Colour’, by Clare Crossman. © Estate of Clare Crosman, 2024

We got into a deep conversation afterwards, and I shared some current work I’m involved in on a community campaign, including a film, to improve the flow of a chalk stream that rises from multiple sources around the village of Dullingham, travels past Devils Dyke and around Tattershall’s horse stables and is then culverted under Newmarket’s main road (under the Jockey Club, no less!), through the town, and connects finally to the River Stour at Snailwell, under the A14.

More about that project as it progresses.

Much concern arose about the current states of rivers, both here in East Anglia and Nationally. The problems of both over-abstraction and pollution were discussed, as well as how chalk streams and waterways are responding to climate change. We are seeing many of these fragile streams dry up entirely during the hotter summer months and then be inundated with too much water during these recent stormy winters. Discussion continued into how communities can respond to these challenges ahead of us and really engage with the more-than-human. This might involve adaptation and developing greater resilience, as well as pushing for any political options, including (in my personal view) the re-nationalisation of water companies and beefing up the power and resources of the Environment Agency, which has been so badly under-funded and asset-stripped over several years by successive Governments.

Feedback from participants included:

“Loved the film, the photography, music and poetry and now have a better understanding of the rarity and importance of chalk streams. Covered a great range of topics in the discussion afterwards. James’ enthusiasm was infectious. Really raised an awareness of our problem with water in this area.”

“I enjoyed it. Beautiful photography and poetry.”

“Seeing the Waterlight film for the second time made me fully appreciate that it is a lovely sensitive mix of beautiful photography, the lovely poetry of Clare Crossman, the scientific input on the ecology of the river, the history of the river and the community spirit to preserve, maintain and care for the river.”

“Film was very atmospheric highlighting what we stand to lose by contamination and over-extraction of these streams. Hope we can have a visit over there.”

“I found the film quite exhilarating and very informative and inspired, I hope, a discussion going forward to perhaps setting up our own working group to create or assist in a wildlife area locally.”

“I really enjoyed the film and the discussion on the film and project.”

“Most informative. Also enjoyed hearing about the other projects James is involved in.”

It was lovely to learn that several of the group had already seen the film, at earlier screenings in Linton, hosted by the FROGS group there (Friends of the River Granta), and are involved in efforts to clean up that river. May we all find ways to engage with our local waterways, brooks, rivulets, streams, and winterbournes.

You can find out about future screenings at our Upcoming Events page.

You can enjoy Clare Crossman’s poems for the Waterlight project on our Poems page (where there is also a short video of Clare reading Crossings at the river Mel, and poems that other people contributed for this site). And do visit Clare’s own website, where there are many more of her poems, including recordings of readings she gave, and poems she contributed to the ClimateCultures website.

Showing 'Landscapes' by Clare Crossman
‘Landscapes’ by Clare Crossman.

Explore the Haverhill U3A site for other events and activities, including the Haverhill u3A Nature Group.

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Waterlight Film Screening & Discussion – Linton W.I.

On a balmy autumn evening on 5th September 2023, 20 members of the Linton WI sat back and enjoyed the Waterlight film — presented by Bruce Huett from the Waterlight Project team — and discussed the state of the local chalk stream, the Granta, which feeds the Cam. 

There had been a debate about whether to watch the shorter or longer version and Bruce had persuaded them to view the latter. In the end, they all agreed that this was the right choice as the interviews were very interesting and put the poems in a wider context.

As usual, there were some interesting questions and comments after the film. One member described the biodiverse stream near her property in Australia. She didn’t know what the base of the stream was (certainly not chalk) and a guess was made that it might be granite.

As this 2021 item on work on the Granta by the Wild Trout Trust and funded by the Environment Agency says, “The Granta has suffered in recent dry years but also presents a flood risk to some properties. The River Granta is a chalk river that rises from springs above Bartlow. The river flows for ~29km through Linton, the Abingtons and Babraham before joining the River Cam at Stapleford.” 

There is an active group of volunteers (FROG – Friends of the River Granta) who have significantly improved the water quality, but the level is now low again. A June 2023 report on the BBC News website describing Concerns about River Granta rare chalk stream drying up, mentions the work of Linton FROG, whose Chair Helen Brookes said then of the chalk stream: “It’s been here for thousands of years; it was here before any of us were here. It would be lovely to know, or to hope, that it will continue to flow through the village as it has done. It’s a beautiful, natural, rare chalk stream and we’re lucky to have it.”

Photo showing the Granta at Linton with a pipe crossing that would normally be covered by water but now exposed.
Photo showing the Granta at Linton with a pipe crossing that would normally be covered by water but now exposed. Image: BBC News. Click to original story.

The National Federation of Women’s Institutes has agreed a resolution about creating bathing waters in rivers across England and Wales as a way to drive the cleanup of our waters: Clean Rivers for People and Wildlife, which includes:

Water quality in our rivers is shameful. Legally designated bathing waters must be regularly monitored for pollution. The NFWI urges its members, the wider public, local authorities, and Government to make, support and promote applications for officially designated bathing sites on appropriate stretches of rivers in their area. This will be instrumental to the clean-up of rivers as it has been for water quality improvement at coastal beaches.

A representative from a chalk stream preservation organisation, Cam Valley Forum (of which Bruce is an officer), will be talking to the group later in the autumn.

Linton WI Members were keen to visit the Mel and hoped that there might be another bird walk as depicted in the film. Bruce said the Melwood Conservation Group were hoping to arrange one and he would contact the WI when this was arranged.

The evening ended with people chatting about water resources and similar issues over a welcome cup of tea.

Don’t forget to check our Upcoming Events page for future talks or screenings of Waterlight.

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Waterlight at Chalk Streams Conference

Waterlight filmmaker James Murray-White spoke at a major interdisciplinary chalk streams conference in Cambridge last month. ‘Owned by Everyone? Chalk Streams in Culture & Crisis’ on 30th March focused on the culture, science and future of chalk streams and featured conservationists, environmental and literary historians, NGOs, regulators, water companies, politicians and community groups. 

James contributed by Zoom and shared clips from Waterlight. He talked about the making of the film and how it and the wider project captured the variety of local people who love the Mel, including the Restoration Group, with Clare Crossman as the project’s inspiration.

James says, “Covid has really emphasised to me that we are all watery bodies, and that we need to do so much more to protect and care for this incredible resource.” He reports that one highlight of the chalk streams conference was how lawyer and activist Paul Powesland spoke at the conference about how to legally protect the rights of nature, and how this is slowly becoming enshrined in law as a tool.

Chalk streams conference: Showing article in the Cambridge Independent

The event was covered by The Cambridge Independent and you can read theor piece by clicking on the image.

Don’t forget to check our Upcoming Events page for future talks or screenings of Waterlight.

 

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Waterlight Film Showing at Royston W.I.

On 9th March 2023 — a very cold and drizzly afternoon, with snow flurries trying to carpet the road outside — about 30 ladies from Royston WI were transported to the world of the Mel through the Waterlight film. 

Royston is a particularly appropriate setting for showing the film as the water that supplies the Mel originates as rain falling on the soft chalk hills surrounding the town. Today, the melted snow will percolate through the chalk to eventually emerge at the springs in Melbourn, the source of the Mel. In his introduction, Bruce Huett drew parallels with his experience of snow melt from the Himalayas supplying the rivers of Tibet, other parts of China and India.

Showing speaker Bruce Huett talking with an audience member after the Royston WI screening
Speaker Bruce Huett talking with an audience member while others chat after the Royston WI screening.

Although Waterlight was not made as a campaigning film, audience members recognised links to national concerns about the general health of English rivers and mentioned the recent BBC programmes ‘Our Troubled Rivers’.

Following the screening, the Royston WI secretary e-mailed:

“Thank you again for coming to show your film and talk to us this afternoon. It was a very calm, peaceful watch, with beautiful music, as well as being very informative. I hope you could see how engaged all our ladies were. It made our afternoon very enjoyable”.

Bruce was again delighted to receive an account of someone who remembered playing in the river at Melbourn as a child, which was similar to accounts he had collected in ‘memory capture’ events with elderly residents in Melbourn and Royston. They had described swimming, paddling down the river in boats improvised from rubber tubes or barrels, fishing and generally messing about in the river or on the banks for whole days in the summer. Some of these accounts are on the Your Waterlight Stories page of this website and others can be found in the Mel pages at Meldreth History, The Story of a Cambridgeshire Village. 

Others, who had visited the British Queen pub in Meldreth but had never taken the short walk across the field at the back to the river, now decided that on their next trip there they will definitely take a stroll along the Mel and visit the adjacent Melwood local Nature Reserve that is featured in the film.

Shwoing DVDs of 'Waterlight: Portrait of a Chalk Stream' on sale at Royston WI
DVDs of ‘Waterlight: Portrait of a Chalk Stream’ on sale at Royston WI. Click on the image to go to our Waterlight Film DVD & Digital Download page.
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Waterlight Film Showing at Linton Parish Church

On Saturday 4th February 2023, Bruce Huett and Nigel Kinnings showed the Waterlight film for the first time in a spiritual space: the Norman parish church at Linton, Cambridgeshire.  Bruce Huett linked this, in his introduction, to his ideas about the spirituality of water and the possibility that the Mel springs may have been an ancient ritual site.

Water film showing at Linton parish church, Cambridgeshire

The afternoon started with a substantial tea of sandwiches, scones with jam and cream and cakes, all prepared and served by local volunteers.

Bruce and Nigel were a bit concerned that the substantial tea might put the audience into an inattentive stupor. However this was not the case and everyone had their eyes glued to the screen throughout and there were a lot of positive comments afterwards, with the possibility of another showing at the local WI.

The church at Linton is situated by the local chalk stream, the Granta, a tributary of the Cam.  Before the showing Bruce and Nigel took the opportunity to explore the local stretch and Bruce was very pleased to meet members of the local chalk stream restoration group: FROG (Friends of the River Granta) who were attending the showing.  Thanks to their hard work the stream looked in excellent condition with a gravelly base below clear water.  Rob Mungovan, in the film,  indicates that this is just how a healthy chalk stream should look.

It was a rewarding experience to show the film in this space and also to be able to link aspects of Waterlight to the local water environment of Linton.

Showing Bruce Huett speaking at the Waterlight film screening, Linton parish church
Bruce Huett speaking at the Waterlight film screening, Linton parish church
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Showing of Waterlight Film at Friends of Paradise Nature Reserve, Cambridge

Tuesday 22nd November 2022

On a rather wet and dreary night, about 30 members of the Friends of Paradise Nature Reserve gathered at the Newnham Croft Sports and Social Club in Cambridge to watch the Waterlight film.

It is clear from the appreciative message sent by the Chairman that the film was much appreciated:

“I’m writing on behalf of Friends of Paradise to thank you, and the film team, for an extremely uplifting and positive evening watching the beautiful and lyrical film of Waterlight.

Beset as we are by the climate emergency, the world situation, the energy crisis and our own local fight against development … not to mention the November rain and darkness, it was a sheer delight to follow the successful and fascinating story of the regeneration of the River Mel.

We all loved it, from the glorious River itself to the wonderful wildlife, old photographs, and the music and memories, all enhanced by the poetry. We were heartened by the story, and felt solidarity with like-minded people. Now we know about the river and the reserve I’m sure that we will be visiting them”.

Bruce Huett introduced the film with additional pictures of children “messing around in the river” which had been obtained in “memory capture” events during the preparation of the film. He and fellow Waterlight project team members James Murray-White and Nigel Kinnings responded to several questions after the showing and there was a lively general discussion, aided by the fact the bar was then open!

During the discussion after the showing it was clear that, although the film was made to celebrate Clare’s poetry and her love of the Mel landscape, people present saw that it also provided material that could be used in the campaign to save Cambridgeshire’s endangered chalk streams. More information on this campaign can be found on the Cam Valley Forum website: https://camvalleyforum.uk.

The audience departed into damp night with spirits uplifted and with plans to visit the Mel in the spring.

Newnham Croft sports and social club

Watch out for future Waterlight film screenings on our Upcoming Events page.

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Your Voice: Greater Cambridge Local Plan

Waterlight Project team member, local historian, conservationist and Secretary of the Melwood Conservation group Bruce Huett highlights the environmental issues associated with local chalk rivers and the importance of a consultation on the new local plan.

I would like to draw your attention to the local plan framework that is currently out for consultation. Unfortunately, this has not been widely publicised and the consultation period ends on the 24th of February. You can access the documents and post your comments at Greater Cambridge Local Plan website.

As someone very concerned about our local environment I would encourage local residents to contribute their thoughts on how the local plan could help to preserve our precious local environment, especially our chalk streams.

The Local Plan: how to comment

Councillor Lewis Herbert, leader of the city council has said sustainability of water supply would be addressed in the next local plan. I suggest that the most significant areas for comment are the ‘Choosing our big themes’ and the ‘Biodiversity and green spaces’ sections, although obviously the climate change section is also relevant. In fact there are opportunities to comment environmentally under most headings.

Greater Cambridge Local Plan
Choosing our Big Themes – the Greater Cambridge Local Plan

The consultation gives you the opportunity to influence the priorities that the planning authorities will take into account when preparing our local plan.

Local plans are prepared by the Local Planning Authority. In this case all the Councils in Greater Cambridgeshire are involved. They provide a framework for addressing housing needs and other economic, social and environmental priorities. Note that the primary consideration is housing needs.

The last local plan for this area was initially rejected by the national inspector partially due to a failure to fully implement government housing targets. It had to be revised.

It is therefore important that, at this stage, as many people as possible actively take part in the consultation to stress the importance of consideration for the environment in contrast to environmentally dangerous development.

The most important document you’ve never heard of?

A desire for sustainability is part of the considerations, but I wonder if this isn’t ‘greenwashing’ as it is certain that the pace of house-building will increase and could even double. There was a good article in the Cambridge Independent on 23rd September 2019, summarising their understanding of the framework for the plan. The final plan is expected to be agreed in 2023.

The councils have described the document as: “the most important document most people have never heard of” and say it will shape “where homes will be built, new jobs located, what education facilities are needed and how people can get around”.

Greater Cambridge had 117,000 homes in 2017, and there are already plans in place for an additional 36,400 homes by 2040. However, to meet the council’s commitments under the wider Cambridgeshire devolution deal, an additional 30,000 homes may be needed in the same time span. Forecasts suggest that Greater Cambridgeshire may need to increase its rate of development from the 1,675 homes a year already agreed to last until 2031, to 2,900 homes a year from now until 2040.

All of this development will have a serious effect on the environment if not carefully planned. Unfortunately, fully taking on board environmental considerations increase the costs for developers so, unless the plan is forceful on ensuring that these are robust, they will be avoided.

A talk recently at the Cambridge Natural History Society by Ruth Hawksley, water expert for the local division of the Wildlife Trust, highlighted the poor state of the local chalk streams and how these could be very adversely affected if the development plans do not take full consideration of the water supply requirements and require sustainable water systems, as at Eddington (a new development on the outskirts on Cambridge).

Critical issues for chalk streams

The key issue is that the streams are dependent on water that percolates through soft chalk. This provides the very pure, mineral-rich water characteristic of chalk streams and supports their rich biodiversity. The springs emerge when this water meets the hard chalk base through which it cannot penetrate. With dry periods and over-abstraction, the permeable chalk dries out. Like a dry sponge, it then takes a lot of time — with a period of steady rainfall — to get replenished. During the dry period the river levels and the flow both fall and this deposits silt, which harms the flora and fauna, particularly the invertebrate population — the basis of the food chain leading to the trout, otters and egrets. It also concentrates harmful chemicals and sewage discharges (because of the nature of the landscape, Cambridgeshire has many small sewage farms discharging into chalk streams rather than larger ones where sewage treatment is more effective).

In 2019 Environment Agency classified the River Cam’s flow rate as the lowest recorded since 1949. In fact, the plight of the English chalk streams (over 60% of the world’s chalk streams are in England) is becoming an important issue, with prominent figures such as Feargal Sharkey (the former lead singer with the Undertones) championing their cause. He has said: “The Cam and the Granta, we have discovered, are in the process of drying up simply because the whole area is over abstracted. We have taken too much water out of the aquifer (water table) that feeds the springs that generate these rivers. Now these rivers do not have enough flow to survive.”

Others have highlighted the fact that trees planted to assist with climate change amelioration require water. There have been articles in the Guardian (July 2014, December 2018 and August 2019) and the BBC has mentioned it, for instance in a Countryfile programme in 2019 and on the local East of England news in July 2019. In Cambridgeshire, the Cam Valley Forum issued a manifesto highting the issues (available via our Links page) and Cambridge Councillor Katie Thornburrow convened a seminar in November 2019 — the report is available here. 

Water Crisis for the Local Plan

The Mel itself has been affected by these issues and the flow in late autumn was so low that you could walk across it in wellington boots near the source. I visited three other Cambridgeshire chalk streams in 2019 that all were completely dried up. At Little Wilbraham the local river action group organiser said that she had never seen it so dry in the thirty years that she had lived in the village.

We hope that, as we move forward, we can ensure that the Mel will survive and continue to provide a wonderful place to enjoy the natural environment for ourselves, our children, grandchildren and future generations.

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Save the River Cam!

Poet Clare Crossman draws our attention to a call to save the river and the chalk aquifer that feeds it.

At Waterlight we recently received a link to a petition started by young Cambridgeshire activists to draw to the attention of the powers that be the state of the chalk aquifers in Cambridgeshire and East Anglia: ‘Save the River Cam! Stop development on Eastern Chalk Aquifer!’

petition: save the river
‘Save the River Cam! Stop development on Eastern Chalk Aquifer!’

The area where I live in south Cambridgeshire, and within Cambridge itself, has and is being hugely developed. Addenbrookes is becoming a town, the station has been surrounded with buildings ready for the 21st century and within the city itself what was open ground to walk on and meet others from your locality has been bought up and built on. Local to me entire acres of farmland have been turned into housing estates.

A beauty all their own

But we all still need food, water and air and the chalk rivers and streams that are all fed from chalk aquifers are very rare and have their own beauty. There are many members of the Cam Valley Forum, hosted at the David Attenborough Building in Cambridge, who are as devoted to looking after and watching over their chalk streams, small rivers and culverts as we are. This is not a retirement occupation, it is necessary.

We must look after the natural world because whether or not we agree with science and XR (Extinction Rebellion) or the whole idea of climate change, we are part of the natural world and it is part of us. The way in which it is being destroyed, is true.

An ever-present truth

This belief has become so important to some people they are currently camping along the route of HS2, which promises to decimate many important areas of wildness and natural beauty. It is important enough to them to live in makeshift tents (no showers or washing facilities), become covered in mud, and live off food donations to show the people who are driving on main roads past them what they stand to lose.

They have got a big notice which says ‘Honk if you agree with us!’ Many do honk their horns even though they can’t physically be there.

There is no getting away from it that the extent to which we are developing, cutting down, refusing to conserve or destroying the natural world is ever-present. Please consider signing and sharing the petition. 

‘Save the River Cam! Stop development on Eastern Chalk Aquifer!’