Overview
- Volunteers led by environmental lawyer Paul Powlesland spent about ten days earlier this year clearing roughly 200 bags of rubbish from Alders Brook, a tributary of the River Roding.
- The Environment Agency has opened an investigation after sending a letter saying it believes unpermitted works took place and that waste was left on the floodplain, which may breach the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.
- The agency specifically alleges dredging and movement of material that could affect flood risk and drainage, and it says no decision on prosecution has been made.
- Organizers say they hired excavation equipment, recovered hazardous items such as needles and appliances, and have seen wildlife return to the cleared stretch while Thames Water says its Combined Sewer Outfalls operate within EA limits.
- The active investigation could deter informal river restorations and is likely to prompt wider debate over permit complexity, enforcement priorities, and how to address chronic sewage and dumping on the River Roding.