Back in February 2024 with so much rain, the footpath MLAV2, above the Easterton Brook, started to crack and unfortunately slipped into the river. The Parish Council have been working hard to try to deal with the problem but there are many restrictions. There has been an additional slippage last month (September 2024)
We have tried to protect our residents with temporary fencing, more substantial fencing would have the effect of making the footpath both unstable and very narrow. This temporary fencing has been removed and thrown into the river several times along with the metal supports. Recently, because of this stupidity a small dog was almost ‘lost’ after falling and getting stuck in the mud. The frantic owner was able to rescue her dog unharmed, eventually. This could have been a terrible accident due to silly games played by visitors to our beautiful woodland. The top of my current wish list is for people to stop being so thoughtless!
The Parish Council has applied for funding to repair the river and support the bank but apart from a small grant from Wessex Water, which we are extremely grateful for, no other grant funding has yet been awarded. As with the last river bank works, we need to apply to the Environment Agency for permits to allow us to make the repair. Easterton Brook is designated as a main river and a flood plain. It is also a trout and salmon spawning river so no work can be carried out between October – April.
The Parish Council have a quotation for the river repair which is somewhere in the region of £12,000 but this does not include the cost of the permits. The proposal is to secure the river bank and footpath from the previous repair and pedestrian access slope, to the first bend upstream, approximately 15 meters. This will prevent that section of MLAV2 being lost and will restore the flow and course of the river.
Prior to the commencement of works, some of the Wessex Water grant will be used for the reduction and thinning of trees on the opposite bank to allow more light for plants to thrive on the river bank, naturally retaining and supporting the bank with their roots. It will also help a little with the wet section of mlav2, although the natural springs along that section is the main cause of complaint.
Once the repair has been achieved, willow will be planted on the terraced bank which will eventually be coppiced and used for rural craft workshops. Willow also provides early food and shelter for our native species. Wild flower seeds will then be spread across the whole of the river bank below MLAV2; again, this will help with the sustainability, ecology and biodiversity of the riparian area.
In the meantime, our thanks go to those nearby residents who quietly work to help keep that section of the footpath clear, and who retrieve the temporary fencing on a regular basis.