Sankey Now News

What is Sankey NOW?
Tree Planting
Environmental Education Workshop
Water Course Pollution
Pollution Prevention Measures
Groundwork & Sankey NOW
Mersey Basin Campaign Event Weekend
Who's Who At Sankey NOW
Further Sites Of Interest

Sankey Launch

Lord Crickhowell visited a campaigning St.Helens residents' association and Newton-le-Willows school children conducting a litter survey, before launching the initiative in Warrington with local partners. Partners placed feathers on a sculpture of a heron - the project symbol, identifying donations, pledges and support for Sankey NOW.

Logo
Lord Crickhowell also presented prizes to the winner and runner-up of a children’'s competition to find a logo for the RVI. The competition winner was Claire Fairclough from Haydock High School, and the runner up was Colin Madew from Barrow Hall Primary School, Great Sankey.

Industrial Heritage
Lord Crickhowell said:

"This is an area of the country which has suffered greatly in the past as a result of its industrial heritage. Nevertheless, as we make environmental progress, river valley environments have the potential to offer both a wide variety of habitats for wildlife and recreational facilities for communities. With careful management, they can sustain both; and partnerships in the community, like Sankey NOW are making this increasingly possible."

Mersey Basin Campaign
Mersey Basin Campaign Chairman Brain Alexander said :

"Local partnerships to clean up the region's rivers have been established by the campaign recently. I am delighted with the progress already being made in the Sankey and look forward to the transformation of the area over the next decade."

[Left to Right: George Ager, Brian Alexander, Lord Crickhowell]

What is Sankey Now?

Sankey Brook
Sankey Brook and its tributaries drain an area of around 360km of highly developed urban and industrial land. The catchment area has a population of over 250,000 people and lies within the boundaries of five local authorities, St.Helens, Warrington, Wigan, Knowsley and West Lancashire.

Partnership
The main aim of the initiative is : "to develop a strategic approach and achieve coordinated improvements in the whole of the Sankey Brook catchment over the decade to 2005 concentrating on water quality and riverside improvements. This is to be achieved by building a partnership between local authorities, voluntary organisations, the local community, farmers, occupiers and public bodies."

Objectives
The aim is set out in ten objectives, five concentrating on awareness, people and development - "Building Involvement", and five concentrating on physically improving the water quality and the surrounding land - "Environmental Objectives".

Tree Planting

Joint Venture
This kind donation has resulted in a joint venture between St.Helens Rangers, British Trust for Conservation Volunteers and Groundwork St.Helens, Knowsley and Sefton.

Commemoration
The photograph below was taken on one of the work days where the partners were involved in thinning existing woodland and replanting native species of Oak, Birch and Scottish Pine. The latter was included to commemorate the victims of the Dunblane tragedy.

[Right foreground: Nick Shearer, Sankey NOW Project Officer]

Environmental Education Workshop

Local Teachers
Teachers from the St. Helens and Wigan area attended the River Studies Workshop which was held in March. The morning Session included information on Sankey NOW, choosing suitable sites, grants for field work and a guide to LEA school visit policies.

Sankey Valley Park
This was followed by a visit to the Sankey Valley Park at Blackbrook for practical advice and hands-on experience in performing a stream survey. During the afternoon teachers heard about follow-up work in the classroom covering geography, science and local history.

For information about the autumn workshop phone the Project Officer-Sankey NOW on 01744 739396

Sankey / Glaze

"Local Environment Agency Plan."

Expertise
The Environment Agency provides a comprehensive approach to the management of the environment by combining the regulation of land, air and water. It merges the expertise of the National Rivers Authority, Her Majesty’'s Inspectorate of Pollution, the Waste Regulation Authorities and several smaller units from the Department of the Environment.

Integrated Local Management
The Agency believes that it can best meet its responsibilities by adopting the concept of integrated local management. This means that an area is considered and the action in each of the agency’'s area of responsibility must take account of the possible impact on other u users within the area.

Leap's
The Agency has decided to formally present its management policies to the public through “ "Local Environment Agency Plans (LEAPs)”" which will be produced for river catchments in England and Wales by 1998. The plans are intended to provide a link between the Agency and the users of the catchment areas, so that the Agency can better reflect their interests whilst carrying out it’'s duties.

Consultation
The production of a Local Environment Agency Plan is a two stage process. The first stage is the production of a consultation report and an open consultation period. The second stage is the production of the action plan, which follows the consultation period.

Comments
The report was launched on the 29th May 1996, this marked the start of the consultation period, during which time we seek to gain comments from all people involved with the environment of the area. The consultation period ends on the 1st September, 1996. If you would like to comment or obtain a copy of the report or further details, please write to:

---

William Crookshank (Environment Planner)
Environment Agency
Mirwell
Carrington Lane
Sale
M33 5NL

---

ST. HELENS MBC & SANKEY NOW

Tackling Water Course Pollution

Water Quality
An application for Department of Environment Funding submitted by St.Helens MBC, was done so with the support from both the Environment Agency and Merseyside Waste Regulatory Authority. This funding will tackle water pollution over a 500m stretch of the Sankey and Sutton Brooks, to dramatically improve water quality.

Funding
As we have seen, improving water quality is an important objective of Sankey NOW, one that is wholeheartedly supported by St.Helens MBC, and which will require addressing over a number of years. If funding is secured, our aim will be to immediately remedy one major source of pollution, followed by an investigation into other sources of contamination. Eventually we aim to identify possible solutions and costs with a view to further remedial action in the future.

Jobs
The protection and enrichment of the environment is a vital part of St.Helens Council's policy to attract new jobs and create attractive surroundings for residents.

Greenways
Environmental policies are pursued in many ways, one of which is through the creation of greenways . These are often based upon linked open spaces alongside the borough's water courses and canal system, The council's planning policies seek to promote public access and recreational use of these greenways and to safeguard and promote their wildlife and historical features. These policies therefore support the aims and objectives of Sankey NOW.

Pollution Prevention Measures in Sankey Valley Park

St. Helens Canal
The site is adjacent to the St.Helens Canal, described as the first true canal to be built in England. The canal was begun in 1755 and completed in 1757. North of the site is the Sankey Viaduct 'Nine Arches' built by George Stephenson in 1830 to carry the Liverpool to Manchester Railway Line.

Investigations
In the last three years the then N.R.A (National Rivers Authority) have carried out a number of investigations around the site. Contaminated drainage was discovered to be issuing from the site threatening fisheries and both ground and surface water quality. In 1993 remedial work involving the construction of an interception trench was undertaken, however part of the stone filled trench subsequently became blocked.

Amenity Value
On the 3rd June 1996 work began on an upgraded concrete interception channel which will convey the contaminated drainage to the foul sewer, therefore protecting water quality and the amenity value of the area. The work being undertaken will cost £45,000 and is being funded by the Environment Agency with contributions from St.Helens MBC.

Groundwork & Sankey NOW

Newton Lake
In particular, Sankey NOW and Groundwork can provide support to some existing projects in the area. Groundwork's involvement, with the Newton Lake Action Group, at Newton Lake, is just one example, when in 1991 the local community joined forces to tackle the problems of litter, pollution and neglect. With the support of Groundwork, the Action Group have carried out a major programme of landscaping and environmental improvements.

Local People
Those of you who visit the lake, will be aware of these improvements, but we recommend that local families and residents make a visit to enjoy this resource for themselves.

European Funds
Groundwork working with St helens MBC and Steering Group members are currently preparing a bid for European funds to continue the excellent work of Sankey NOW. If secured, this funding will prepare a programme of action for Sankey NOW for the next three years, raising awareness of the initiative and its projects. A definite bonus for the Sankey catchment.

Mersey Basin Campaign Event Weekend

Sankey NOW & NWW St.Helens Open Day

World of Water
Explore the amazing world of water and for the more energetic, help remove debris in the Sankey Brook from the footbridge near St.Augustines of Canterbury playing field to Delta Road.

Whatever The Weather
Come Rain or Shine, there will be conducted tours - something for everyone! For more details, contact Pam O'Neill on 01744-24531

Community Action
David Jones, North West Water's Territory manager for St.Helens, chairs the Sankey NOW Steering Group. David says'

"I'm glad to be involved with cleaning up the Sankey especially on our own doorstep. I hope this will encourage other 'waterfront' businesses to adopt their local bankside. We will only succeed by uniting the community to action."

Who's Who At Sankey NOW

Further Sites Of Interest