‘It’s been sadly neglected over the years’: Hundreds call for River Welland in Market Harborough to be restored

​​The river is around 65 miles long and flows through Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, and Lincolnshire.

It is a habitat and lifeline for animals and remains an important part of life in Market Harborough.

But campaigners say it has been “left to decay”.

​Phil Cotterill started the petition after seeing the river's condition.

​On the petition, he said: “Once pristine and vibrant ecosystems, our rivers have been severely degraded due to a series of developments and mismanagement that have gone unchecked.

“The impact on our local environment is undeniable. Debris and pollution now stain the waters we have cherished for so long.”

​Don West, 66, has witnessed the decline firsthand.

​He said: “You look over the bridge at the river, and it is a solid weed. You cannot see any water.

​“The river used to be a couple of feet deeper.”

​In 2012, half a million pounds was awarded to the Welland Rivers Trust to restore a two-kilometre section of the river through the town.

The charity merged with the Lincolnshire Rivers Trust in October 2022 to form the East Mercia Rivers Trust.

​A spokesperson for the Trust said: "It's truly heartening to see how much people care about their river. It is always difficult to find a balance between ecology, flood risk, and aesthetics in a river highly constrained by the town around it, but as a charity, East Mercia Rivers Trust are just starting a project with Harborough District Council to work with stakeholders to see what improvements can be made."

​Don says that while reeds were planted along the riverbed a decade ago, he claims nobody has been maintaining them.​

The keen wildlife photographer explained: “In the 10 years since all those reeds were planted, basically now the river’s just pretty much disappeared.

“Four or five years ago… you’d see a kingfisher, guaranteed. I haven't seen one on the river in a good two or three years now.

“They’ve just moved up onto the canal.”

​Dragonflies, with no water to fly across, have relocated, as have a family of otters which were recently spotted behind the B&M Home Store, in Rockingham Road.

Don is part of Harborough Pickers and regularly removes litter from the riverbanks.

Grey wagtails, which were once a common sight in the town, have also seemingly travelled to other waters.

He added: “They like pecking around in the mud, on the side between the water and the bank. It’s so grown in with weeds now that they just moved on.”

The weeds, including the invasive Japanese knotweed, have grown out of control along the River Welland, with part of that down to a lack of shade.

Bruce Durham has lived in the town for 14 years and is involved in several environmental and flood prevention initiatives.

He explained: “When you haven’t got that dappled shade, then the weeds just go, ‘Oh, whoopee! Let’s make the most of this.’

“Without dappled shade, you get too much water plant growth, and you get too much heating of the river water, which then ends up with the river temperatures increasing, and that reduces the oxygen content, which kills the wildlife.”

A council spokesperson said: “Harborough District Council remains committed to enhancing biodiversity across the district and has delivered significant environmental improvements over many years, including wildflower planting, tree planting and habitat enhancements. These efforts have contributed to continued success in achieving Gold Award status in Harborough in Bloom.

“Although the River Welland is not directly managed by the council, we work with volunteers and local partners to support litter clearance and targeted riverbank maintenance. The river provides valuable habitat for a range of wildlife, including kingfishers, water voles, otters and eels, supporting local biodiversity.

“The council recognises that views on river management can differ and continues to work with partners to balance maintaining an attractive environment with supporting biodiversity, ensuring the River Welland remains a valued asset for residents and visitors.”

Bruce’s view is that the river has been overlooked, partly because people don’t recognise its importance.

He said: “It’s been sadly neglected over the years because we’re not a chalk stream, and therefore the community don’t see the river as an important part of their local assets.”

The petition has called on Harborough District Council, Neil O’Brien MP, and the river authority to improve the rivers for the good of the town, its community and the wildlife.

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: “We take our role in cleaning up our rivers, lakes and seas seriously and are absolutely committed to improving the quality of the River Welland.

“As regulators, we have been granted much more power to protect our precious water quality and resources, hold water companies and others to account and ensure the polluter pays.

“The stronger penalties introduced by the Water (Special Measures) Act will deter illegal behaviour and allow us to close the justice gap and strengthen our ability to deliver swift enforcement action.”

Neil O’Brien MP has been in touch the South Leicestershire Litter Wombles.

He said: “There have been ongoing issues with the Sainsbury’s store in Market Harborough and pollution/litter entering the river.

“Finally, after a number of emails from both myself and Andrew Reeves, a Keep Britain Tidy Ambassador at South Leicestershire Litter Wombles, we received a reply from Sainsbury’s stating that their store’s jurisdiction ends at the kerb.

“The South Leicestershire Litter Wombles do a fantastic job and do a great deal for the local area.”

While Don says that owners of the properties off the river have a duty to protect and take care of the banks and the water.

Don said: “Each of the owners should do their little bit and look after the river. If you own [land where] your garden runs down to a river bank, you actually own to the centre of the river.

“Your responsibility extends to the centre line of the river, so you are expected to maintain the river up to the centre line.”

Bruce doesn’t simply blame the council or Environment Agency, but argues that the specialist bodies are underfunded and overwhelmed.

Bruce added: “Let’s stop reinventing the wheel. Let’s stop saying, ‘We pay our taxes. Why aren’t the authorities doing this?’ and work together to come up with better solutions.”

The petition can be found at www.change.org/p/reinstate-our-beloved-rivers-in-market-harborough