Lead Organisation
Partner organisations
South Cambridgeshire District Council
Local communities and volunteers in Abbey and Cherry Hinton Wards
Project Description
Through this project, Cambridge City Council and partners will transform three rare urban chalk streams—Cherry Hinton Brook, Coldham's Common, and Hobson's Brook—unlocking their full ecological potential. These vital waterways have long suffered from urban pressures, and this funding will deliver the tangible tools, materials, and infrastructure needed to restore, enhance, and reconnect these habitats.
With the installation of brushwood shelves, flow detectors, and strategically placed gravel, we will re-energise over one kilometre of chalk stream, creating structurally diverse channels that support natural flow regimes, stabilise banks, and provide vital habitat for rare plants and invertebrates such as Ranunculus, Callitriche, mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies. Each intervention contributes to a cohesive, landscape-scale improvement that strengthens resilience and amplifies ecological impact.
This is more than restoration—it is urban nature brought back to life, a visible demonstration of what is possible when communities, local authorities, and conservation partners unite to create thriving, resilient ecosystems.
Project Location
The project is set within the Greater Cambridge Chalk Stream Project area. By enhancing these urban streams, we are directly contributing to Big Chalk’s vision of connected, healthy chalk streams across the region.
Fit with the Big Chalk Programme
This project delivers tangible, capital-style improvements that advance the Big Chalk Programme’s mission to restore priority habitats and strengthen ecological connectivity. By creating structurally enhanced channels and interconnected flow patterns, we will support species recovery, stabilise urban waterways, and establish a model for replicable, large-scale urban chalk stream restoration.
These streams will act as living laboratories: demonstrating the power of collaborative, evidence-led restoration, informing pollution mitigation, and supporting resilience planning across the broader Big Chalk landscape. Together, these efforts turn degraded urban chalk streams into thriving ecological corridors.
Wider social and environmental considerations
Beyond ecology, this project delivers meaningful social and environmental impact. Restored streams will improve water quality, boost dissolved oxygen, and create natural flood and drought resilience. Communities in Abbey and Cherry Hinton Wards will gain vibrant, accessible natural spaces, fostering connection to the environment and inspiring stewardship.
By working hand-in-hand with local volunteers, conservation partners, and water authorities, we are building lasting expertise, shared capacity, and a foundation for continued urban nature recovery. This is capital investment that not only restores habitats but uplifts communities, ensuring these streams continue to flourish for generations.
The Big Chalk programme and Nature Recovery Fund is funded through the Protected Landscapes Partnership, supported by Defra.
Do you have a project that could strengthen the future of southern England’s iconic chalk and limestone landscapes?
The Big Chalk programme brings together a dynamic suite of partner-led projects, each unique in its focus, area, and partnerships but sharing a commitment to our collective vision.
If your project contributes to the Big Chalk mission, we invite you to register it as a Big Chalk Project. Registered projects gain access to networking, shared learning, and best practice—alongside the Big Chalk brand, boosting your profile and connecting you to a powerful, growing network of partners.
Together, these projects form a united effort to secure the future of southern England’s chalk and limestone landscapes, making a lasting impact for nature and communities.