Lead Organisation
Partner organisations
Project Description
This project will bring 300 metres of the River Wandle at Richmond Green back to life, transforming a heavily modified urban chalk stream into a thriving, biodiverse waterway. Once straightened, widened, and uniform, this section offers limited ecological value. Through targeted interventions, we will recreate natural features—including berms, gravel beds, and woody materials—to restore flow, energy, and ecological character.
By narrowing channels, reintroducing structural diversity, and reinstating natural processes, we will create essential spawning grounds for fish, vital habitats for invertebrates, and refuge for water voles, delivering tangible gains for species that have long been underserved. These interventions will also enhance the resilience of the river, stabilising banks, improving water quality, and providing natural buffers during droughts and extreme weather events.
This is restoration with purpose: a living demonstration that even urban rivers can be renewed, becoming spaces where wildlife thrives and local communities can reconnect with nature.
Project Location:
River Wandle, Richmond Green, Beddington, Croydon, CR0 4PQ
Fit with the Big Chalk Programme
Situated within a London Borough, this project proves that chalk streams can flourish even in highly urbanised landscapes. By restoring habitat, connectivity, and natural processes, we are showcasing a scalable model for urban chalk stream recovery. The work will demonstrate the mutual benefits for people and nature, inspiring action beyond these 300 metres and creating a blueprint for similar projects across the Big Chalk landscape.
Wider social and environmental considerations
Beyond habitat restoration, this project will transform a neglected river into a vibrant community asset, connecting residents with nature on their doorstep. Through riverfly monitoring, citizen science, and hands-on habitat surveys, local people will engage directly with restoration, becoming active stewards of the river.
By fostering participation, collaboration, and learning, we are creating a long-term legacy: a network of local champions empowered to sustain and replicate these efforts, ensuring that the River Wandle continues to deliver ecological, educational, and social benefits for generations to come.
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