Barnet Council has allocated £220,531.05 for improvements and mitigation works to the Welsh Harp Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The funding, derived from a s106 contribution, will support a range of projects aimed at enhancing the site's ecological value and accessibility.

The improvement and mitigation works are scheduled to commence in August 2025 and run through to early 2026. The North Marsh improvement work is scheduled for Q4 2025 – Q4 2028 and the footpath improvements are scheduled for Winter 2025/2026.

The plans were detailed in a report presented at the Welsh Harp Joint Consultative Committee meeting on Monday, 21 July 2025. The proposals include match funding for the Canal & River Trust's (CRT) bid for restoration of the North Marsh, upgrade of the footpath network, habitat management, community engagement, and ecological surveys.

Specifically, £150,000 will be used as match funding for the Canal and River Trust's successful bid to Kusuma Trust for the project 'Wings on Water – Rescuing London's Flyway (WOW)'. The 'Wings on Water' project aims to restore wetlands, remove invasive species, and reinstate channels and pools. It also aims to promote reed growth by cutting back willow vegetation, which will improve breeding success through the creation of open spaces.

According to the Welsh Harp S106 Proposal 2025/2026, the aim of the proposed work is to improve the condition of the SSSI. This work will be completed in collaboration with stakeholders and residents, encouraging long term stewardship of the site by local people and community groups. This proposal also includes the upgrade of features that have been directly degraded as a result of the increased visitor pressure due to the development.

In addition to the CRT project, further work will be carried out on the terrestrial areas of the SSSI, including:

  • Upgrade of footpath network. The footpath network will be upgraded to be functional and accessible all year round, especially on the western side of the north marsh leading to West Hendon Playing Fields. The upgrades aim to prevent further degradation of the SSSI by reducing people straying off the existing paths and damaging adjacent habitats.
  • Habitat management (creation, enhancement and maintenance). The specific habitats targeted for creation, enhancement, and maintenance are reedbeds (increase), woodland/wet woodland (management), marshland (maintain and increase), and West Hendon Playing Fields (scrub management, grassland enhancement, habitat enhancements done following advice from Butterfly Conservation Trust). The expected benefits for local wildlife include improved breeding success, increased plant diversity, and enhanced habitat for various species, including water birds and invertebrates.
  • Community engagement, training and site stewardship. The success of habitat management sessions and community engagement initiatives will be measured through various methods, including the number of events and participants, the number and hours of volunteers, budget review, the number of activities, social media and website analytics, stakeholder Interviews, face to face surveys at events and activities, community Focus Groups, project team feedback, web-based surveys such as Survey Monkey and social media analytics and volunteer surveys.
  • Collection of baseline data through ecological surveys and citizen science events. The collected baseline data will be used to inform future projects and funding bids. This includes recording and mapping of any INNS to treatment can be coordinated and the schedule 9 invasive species controlled. In addition to the surveys, local groups will be encouraged to use iNaturalist to record adhoc observations. Citizen science is an effective way to collect data which will be submitted to Greenspaces Information for Greater London (GiGL), and subsequently used to shape local policy and assess planning applications for their impact on nature.
  • Using data collected to inform future funding applications

Citizen Zoo will conduct baseline ecological surveys and write up three feasibility studies for species reintroductions at the Welsh Harp, with one final report with rewilding recommendations.

The Welsh Harp Management Plan Update - Brent report also noted that the Welsh Harp Vision was published in late July 2023, prepared by the Canal & River Trust, Barnet Council, Brent Council, the London Wildlife Trust, Greater London Authority, Thames 21 and other partners. The document mentions that the Welsh Harp Vision team are investigating potential grant sources and opportunities to include the Welsh Harp in grant applications are reviewed. One application that involves, but is not centered on the Welsh Harp, is currently in preparation by one of the partner organisations.

The River Brent Catchment Partnership Action Plan was published at: https://www.thames21.org.uk/catchment-partnerships/brent/