RICKMANSWORTH AQUADROME

RICKMANSWORTH AQUADROME

GREENSPACE ACTION PLAN

2022 - 2027

BRIEFING DOCUMENT

Rickmansworth Aquadrome Greenspace Action Plan 2022-27 Briefing Document 1

CONTENTS

Contents .................................................................................................................... 1

1. Introduction ........................................................................................................ 2

2. Background ........................................................................................................ 3

3. Future of the Park .............................................................................................. 5

4. Greenspace Action Plan (GAP) 2022-2027 ...................................................... 8

5. Community Engagement and Plan Production Process ................................ 9

6. Stakeholder Feedback ..................................................................................... 11


1. INTRODUCTION

A new five-year Greenspace Action Plan (GAP) is being produced for

Rickmansworth Aquadrome. This briefing document provides an overview of how the

GAP will be produced and sets out how stakeholders can contribute to shaping the

plan.

GAPs are essentially map-based management plans that provide focus and direction for the running and improvement of open spaces. They provide a clear, logical process to determine the activities that should take place over a stated period of time to achieve the objectives for the site.

The GAP is being produced by the Countryside Management Service (CMS), part of Hertfordshire County Council’s Countryside and Rights of Way Service, on behalf of and in partnership with Three Rivers District Council. The completed document will inform the management actions to be undertaken over the next five years, commencing in April 2022.

Engaging communities is integral to the production of GAPs, to ensure that stakeholders are fully aware of and able to interact with the plan production process. This briefing document initiates and supports this community engagement.

The engagement period will run from 10th September to 3rd October 2021. A further engagement period in early 2022 will provide an opportunity to assess the draft version of the GAP. Please use the contact details in Section 6 to comment on the aspirations for the site.

This document has been broken down into easy to read sections:

Section 2 provides an overview of the site and location map.

Section 3 reviews recent management of the site.

Section 4 contains the core objectives for the Rickmansworth Aquadrome GAP.

Section 5 summarises the public engagement methodology, setting out how and when stakeholders can contribute to the plan.


2. BACKGROUND

Rickmansworth Aquadrome Local Nature Reserve is a 41 hectare Green Flag award

winning park to the south of Rickmansworth town centre, extremely well-used for

outdoor recreation, valued by the local community and rich in wildlife.

It comprises two lakes, Bury Lake to the west and Batchworth Lake to the east,

along with surrounding areas of open grassland and wet woodland. It is bounded to

the north and east by the River Colne, to the south by the Grand Union Canal and to

the west by Stockers Lake Local Nature Reserve.

The lakes were formed as a result of gravel extraction, leaving behind large holes in

the valley floor which naturally filled with water when extraction stopped in the 1920s.

Some of the extracted gravel was used to build the original Wembley Stadium.

Visitor facilities are extensive and popular. The Aquadrome is always open, with no

admission charge and a large, free car park. Other facilities include a large play

area, café and toilets and a dog free picnic area. The lakes host organisations

including the Café in the Park, Rickmansworth Waterski Club, Bury Lake Young

Mariners, and Uxbridge Rovers Angling and Conservation Society.

There is a network of tarmac paths around the site which make it easy to get around

and fully accessible to buggies and wheelchairs. These paths also form a key part of

wider links for active travel and recreation. National Cycle Network Route 6 between

Uxbridge and Watford runs along the southern edge of the site, with a separate fork

heading between the two lakes and across the Colne to the northeast. Public

footpath Rickmansworth 65 follows the western boundary between Bury Lake and

Stockers Lake, and there are links at several points onto the Grand Union Canal

towpath.

As well as being designated a Local Nature Reserve, the Aquadrome is also a Local

Wildlife Site, due to its mosaic of mature wet woodland with old drainage ditches,

rough open areas with tall herbs and marginal aquatic vegetation at the lake edges

including sedges, rushes and reeds. Attempts have been made in the past to expand

this marginal vegetation, both to enhance the valuable habitat and to reduce erosion

at the lake shores, with mixed success. It is an important site for waterfowl and has

records for nationally notable beetles. The River Colne along the northern boundary

of the site is a further valuable habitat for wildlife.

The Aquadrome lies within the Rickmansworth Town ward of Three Rivers District

Council. It is also within the Rickmansworth East and Oxhey Park division of

Hertfordshire County Council, and within the area covered by Batchworth

Community Council.



3. FUTURE OF THE PARK

Management of the Aquadrome in recent years has largely focused on maintenance

of existing features and infrastructure, with some improvements, including the new

café building and toilet block, new boat house and club house at Bury Lake Young

Mariners, improved pathways around Batchworth Lake and an upgraded play area.

This new plan represents an opportunity to take a fresh look at the park and to

explore ideas to make it function as well as it can for both the community and

wildlife.

To support the design process, we have developed the strategic area map on the

following page. This divides the Aquadrome into formal and informal zones. In formal

areas we will prioritise encouraging leisure and recreational activities while in

informal areas we will aim to enhance biodiversity and develop natural spaces. The

map also identifies where the spaces can interact with each other to provide a

coherent, functional and enjoyable layout to the site.

Key priorities for the Aquadrome over the next five years include biodiversity and

sustainability, accessibility, managing flooding, the identity of the site, maintaining a

strong relationship with the park community, and considering the landscape and

functionality of the area around the café.

The Aquadrome is already rich in biodiversity, with opportunities both to do more and

to better celebrate the wildlife of the site. Previous attempts to establish marginal

vegetation around the lake shores and islands have left unsightly structures and

floating frameworks in places, which could be renewed or removed. Areas of wet

woodland represent a habitat which is rare in Hertfordshire and valuable, but can

appear untidy, so would benefit from better interpretation. Consideration should also

be given to management of the River Colne for biodiversity.

The Aquadrome has a good network of surfaced footpaths which are generally in

good condition but deteriorating in some locations. This is a particular issue where

flooding is frequent, and the two things will need to be considered together. While

the site will always be prone to flooding due to its flood plain location, there may be

ways to manage and control flows of flood water to minimise the impact on the path

network and accessibility of the site.

The Aquadrome currently lacks a strong identity, with tired and outdated signage and

interpretation. Refreshing this signage, with updated branding, will improve the visitor

experience and aid marketing of the park. The Council will work closely with

members of the park community, including key stakeholders, with the aim that all

activities in the park contribute towards the objectives for the site.

The space around the café is extremely well-used, but there could be opportunities

to use this area better. This could include improving connectivity between the café


and the lakeshore, establishing views across the lake, or additional infrastructure

such as a natural play area.



4. GREENSPACE ACTION PLAN (GAP) 2022-2027

The Rickmansworth Aquadrome GAP 2022-2027 will be a simple, easy to read plan

for use by officers of Three Rivers District Council and members of the public and

will act as a guide to the work of volunteers. The plan will be largely map based, with

sequential, annual management maps to show the actions planned for each year.

The document will be reviewed annually to ensure it remains effective and relevant.

The plan will be costed, and potential funding sources identified. Once the final GAP

is agreed, external funding will be sought to enable the plan to be delivered.

The aim and objectives of the GAP will be as follows:

Aim

To provide a valuable, welcoming and well-maintained park for the community whilst

managing its environment sustainably and enhancing its biodiversity.

Objectives

A. Creating Biodiverse and Sustainable Environments

A1 To ensure robust environmental management

A2 To educate and inform visitors about vital wildlife and their habitats

A3 To deliver sustainable solutions to preserve and protect the environment

A4 To preserve the landscape and heritage of the park

B. To Be Welcoming for All

B1 To provide an inviting park

B2 To ensure the park is clean and well maintained

B3 To ensure the park is accessible for all

B4 Ensure the park can be easily navigated and flows smoothly between the

different zones

C. A Friendly Park Community

C1 To work with and engage key stakeholders of the park

C2 To develop a programme of activities focused around nature and

conservation

C3 To develop a programme of activities focused around health and

wellbeing

C4 To develop and promote marketing and communications

D. An Award Winning Park

D1 To retain Green Flag accreditation

D2 To monitor visitor feedback and satisfaction levels

D3 To apply for relevant awards


5. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND PLAN PRODUCTION PROCESS

Effective community engagement is at the centre of successful management plans.

The value of a GAP is maximised when it incorporates and balances the aspirations

of stakeholders and interest groups.

In order to provide all interested stakeholders and groups with the opportunity to feed

into the production of the new GAP, we have adopted a structured two-stage

approach to community engagement.

For the first stage (this briefing document), stakeholders and site users will be

invited to make comment on the core aspirations in Section 4; it is hoped that any

further aspirations and/or issues will be identified through this information

gathering process. This first stage of community engagement will run between

Friday 10th September and Sunday 3rd October.

For the second stage, stakeholders and site users will be invited to read through

and make comment on the draft GAP, which will include the detailed proposals

and actions. This stage is intended to run in early 2022.

Following the second stage exercise, the final document will be produced, published

and the actions will commence.

Please be aware that we will not respond individually to comments received through

the public engagements; instead, we will produce a summary of comments, noting

any amendments made to the plan as a result. This engagement response

document will be published online alongside the briefing document, draft plan and

final plan. We will retain contact details only for the purpose of keeping respondents

informed about the plan development process.

The following diagram shows the Greenspace Action Plan production process:

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6. STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK

Thank you for taking the time to read this document. We are keen to receive

feedback from you on our proposals for the Rickmansworth Aquadrome Greenspace

Action Plan (GAP) 2022-2027.

Please use the link below to submit any feedback.

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/Rickmansworth Aquadrome GAP Consultation

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/RKGY779

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RICKMANSWORTH AQUADROME