£60k works to River Bulbourne in Hemel Hempstead '˜thrill' Box Moor Trust

The end results of work that was carried out to narrow the River Bulbourne have '˜thrilled' the Box Moor Trust.

The Trust, along with the Environment Agency, has funded the re-routing of a one kilometre stretch of the river from Fishery Road to Two Waters Road in Boxmoor.

The work, which lasted throughout January, regraded the banks in behind the new edges, reconnecting the river with its floodplain.

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It is hoped that the new appearance and flow of the river will restore a natural chalk stream that has been halted by man-made alterations to the river over the last 250 years.

Chalk streams are a globally rare habitat and support a massive range of plants and rare animals.

Peter Ablett, chairman of the land and estate committee of the Box Moor Trust, told the Gazette: “The work has gone perfectly.

“It has been done far faster than we anticipated, in about three weeks instead of the five that was scheduled.

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“The main work has been hugely successful. When I’ve been out and about with members of the public it’s been well received as well.

“It’s all about creating a more beneficial habitat for all sorts of wildlife.

“The water is already running better because of it and there’s plenty of water life in there.

“So we’re absolutely thrilled with how the work has gone.”

Work will start in the autumn to create wetland scrapes, which will also provide habitats for more wildlife.

The overall cost of the scheme is £62,000, with the Box Moor Trust contributing £10,000 towards the works.