During 2022 Groundwork will be inviting schools and uniformed youth groups to join us once again at the River Lea in Luton for Junior River Wardens.  Read more ...

The council has secured significant funding which will be used to open up part of the River Lea and add new green space, a popular proposal for improving the look and feel on the town centre as part of the recently agreed masterplan. Read more ...

The Environment Agency has been working with Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFAs) and other Risk Management Authorities (RMAs) to produce draft Flood Risk Management Plans (FRMPs) for public consultation, and they now want to hear your views. Read more ...

Plans to release beavers into the wild in England have been set out in a consultation launched on the 25 August 2021. Read more ...

Luton Council seeks a freelance Community Participation Coordinator for Our River*, a new participatory public art project in Luton. Read more ...

Luton Council seeks a freelance Community Photographer & Participation Officer for Our River*, a new participatory public art project in Luton. Read more ...

This Wednesday (14 July 2021) there will be an investigative documentary aired on Rivercide TV. Read more ...

Central Bedfordshire Council is proposing the build of 100 homes on the Windsor Drive recreation ground next to the Houghton Brook and there will be a planning for real consultation with local residents during 2021. Read more ...

Water is a vital part of our environment. When an area is determined to be in serious water stress by the Secretary of State for the Environment, the water company for that area must publish a water resources management plan that considers all options to manage demand more effectively – including metering and greater leakage reduction. Read more ...

The freezing weather during the week starting 8 February, and the thaw that is forecast to follow, brings with it an increased risk of burst pipes, including at homes and businesses. Read more ...

Dallow Downs & Winsdon Hill (DD&WH) and Cowslip Meadow, have gained national status as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), as announced by Natural England on 14th October 2020. Read more ...

Every September on the Fourth Sunday is World Rivers Day. Read more ...

The Houghton Brook project team collaborated with partners earlier this month to host the Environment Agency’s first virtual breaking-ground event, marking the first stage of construction of the flood alleviation scheme. Read more ...

A consultation has begun on proposed changes to the water company water resources planning guideline. Read more ...

Work begins on the Houghton Brook Flood Storage Area this week, beginning with some tree felling and site clearance.  Read more ...

The river improvement project at The Moor has recently been completed. Read more ...

To support efforts to keep the River Lea healthy, a member of Groundwork staff supported the council-led river clean-up event at Wardown Park on the 27 February 2020. Read more ...

During February half term 2020 families were invited to take part in 'Wildplay by the River'. Read more ...

As part of the work by the Luton Lea Catchment Partnership, community charity Groundwork East is installing a kingfisher nesting box into the sheet piling at Manor Road Park, Luton. Read more ...

This Spring, join the Keep Britain Tidy campaign and help fight against plastic in the River Lea. Read more ...

Thank you to all of the River Warden volunteers who have given up their free time to monitor the Luton River Lea. Read more ...

On the 13 February 2020 nine employees from Engie took part in river clean up and river monitoring activities along the river and banks at Leagrave Park. Read more ...

On Wednesday 18 December 2019 a group of students from Nova College joined Groundwork to take part in tree planting activities. Read more ...

On 24 October 2019 the Environment Agency launched a consultation seeking your views on the challenges our waters face and the choices we all need to make to improve and protect this vital and precious resource. Read more ...

A new thesis by a Cranfield Univeristy student is due to be released in the upcoming months. Cranfield University MSc Envionmental Water Management student Marine Poncet is releasing her thesis on 'Assessment of natural capital benefits of the Manor Road Park restoration'. Read more ...

Affinity Water is working with Luton Borough Council and local communities to improve the biodiversity and landscape of local chalk streams, a globally-rare habitat. Read more ...

The Environment Agency has continued to review Drought triggers using information provided by others, as a result the Environment Agency's Hertfordshire and North London area is in an Environmental Drought. Read more ...

DEFRA has launched a consultation running from 19 July to 11 October 2019. It aims to understand how personal water usage can be reduced, and what measures need to be put in place to acheive this.

The Luton Lea Catchment Partnership is urging all catchment partners to review and respond to the consultation. Read more ...

Water is the stuff of life, but how often do any of us really think about it?

That's all set to change with the launch of the Love Water campaign on 8 July.  Read more ...

On 22 May, the Groundwork Landscape architecture and community teams spent the afternoon consulting members of the public in Houghton Regis over the proposed plans to increase public access to and involvement in the river and promote the river as a community and educational resource. Read more ...

Last year saw the end of our three year long junior river warden programme kindly funded by Thames water. Read more ...

The River Lea recently featured on BBC's River Walks. Read more ...

Groundwork East has appointed a consultant to undertake a topographic survey at the Leagrave Marsh in Luton. Read more ...

After receiving funding from London Luton Airport Limited, Groundwork East is running a project at Cowslip Meadow called Green Skills. Read more ...

Manor Road Park officially re-opened on Monday 22 October, with residents gathering to celebrate the extensive improvements to the part of the River Lea that runs through the park. Read more ...

The first phase of the public consultation to review and update the current river basin plans has been launched and the Environment Agency wants you to submit your views before 22 December 2018. Read more ...

After more than two years' worth of work, the Manor Road Park project has come to an end. Read more ...

There are plenty of ways you can save water at home and work this water saving week - and every week! Read more ...

Affinity Water is working with Luton Borough Council and local communities to improve the biodiversity and landscape of local chalk streams, a globally-rare habitat. Read more ...

Schools pupils from Luton and Houghton Regis have been monitoring the River Lea's vital statistics and logging them to help understand and improve the health of the river to ensure it remains a liveable habitat for creatures. Read more ...

Join us on Friday 6 October to celebrate and investigate the River Lea in Luton. Read more ...

Members of the Luton Lea Catchment Partnership were given a guided tour of East Hyde Sewage Treatment Works that treats waste water from Luton and the surrounding areas, thanks to the generosity of staff at the Thames Water site. Read more ...

Community charity Groundwork Luton and Bedfordshire is working with Affinity Water on Luton Water Wardens, a new project to help Luton residents to save water, leading to savings in energy and money. Read more ...

An interactive exhibition has just opened in Luton. Visitors to The Storefront can photograph, write, walk and talk about the River Lea as part of Luton-based artist Abi Spendlove's project Tributary. Read more ...

Luton residents are being invited to give feedback on Affinity Water's proposals for the River Lea at Manor Road Park. Read more ...

Do you live or work in Luton? Make your lunchtimes livelier by heading out on free guided walks.

Sustrans runs an hour-long walk every Thursday from Luton Town Hall. The walks follow a variety of routes, including a loop through Wardown Park. Read more ...

Did you know that there are fantastic health walks on offer to Luton locals for free? The good news doesn't end there, either – the walks have been enhanced with information about the natural features of your neighbourhood. Read more ...

A team of 17 unemployed Luton volunteers have improved their prospects and a local green space by joining a course in Luton's Leagrave Park. Read more ...

The Luton Lea is the section of the River Lea from Houghton Regis, Lewsey and Leagrave Park to Luton Hoo Lakes. This guide introduces six sites where schools can easily access the River and/ or its tributaries, provides key information on access and safety along with some suggested activities at each site. Read more ...

An exciting new project has just been launched to connect young people to the River Lea in Luton and Central Bedfordshire. The Junior River Wardens programme is a citizen science project which will engage 16 schools and four youth or uniformed groups in the Luton Lea catchment area to monitor the River Lea and its tributaries. Read more ...

Houghton Regis resident Sally has been keeping an eye on the Woodside Link developments and helping to limit the impact they have on local wildlife. Read more ...

Groundwork Luton & Bedfordshire has run Greening Up with two groups of Luton residents this year - the first started in January and ended in March, and the second began in May and finished in June. Read more ...

The University of Bedfordshire's School of Art and Design is hosting the Frame Graduate Show from 2 - 15 June. Read more ...

Help monitor the state of the River Lea and its wildlife by joining the Thames Water Blitz. Read more ...

Outstanding pieces of River Lea-inspired art and design work are on display in a free exhibition at The Hat Factory in Luton this week. Read more ...

Tesco's Bags of Help grant programme, administered by Groundwork, is open for applications from Monday 18 April. Read more ...

Work is in progress for the Rivers and Wagtails project. Read more ...

The Source of the River Lea in Leagrave Park, Luton, is having a spring clean. Read more ...

The previously redundant Bide-A-While allotment site has been reinstated as a community growing project thanks to the efforts of fifteen unemployed Luton volunteers. Read more ...

Local volunteers joined forces with Trevor Tween from Luton Borough Council and the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire this weekend. Read more ...

Luton's Wardown Park Museum has been awarded £1.8m from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to conserve the historic building and transform the way its story is told. Read more ...

On Thursday 30 July 2015, a large gathering of locals celebrated the reopening of the beloved suspension bridge that spans Wardown Lake in Luton's Wardown Park. Read more ...

A group of local organisations and residents gathered in Luton's Leagrave Park on Friday 29 May to celebrate the improvements made to the Source of the River Lea. Read more ...

Helen Hoyle from Sheffield University is creating a meadow area in Wardown Park which will be the location for a 3 year research project into the value of wild flower meadows.  Read more ...

Do you want to burn off your Christmas and New Year indulgences in January? Get involved in the final stage of restoration and improvement works in Luton’s Leagrave Park! Read more ...

A group of Luton volunteers has been hard at work in Marsh Farm. Over the past six weeks they’ve created a path through Leagrave Park’s Rotten Corner – now a lot more inviting than its name suggests! Read more ...

Major works to restore and improve a wooded area in Luton’s Leagrave Park got underway this week thanks to funding secured by local community charity Groundwork Luton & Bedfordshire. Read more ...

Visitors to Wardown Park on Saturday 6 September 2014 were treated to free activities, advice and water-saving devices – all to celebrate the River Lea.  Read more ...

Groundwork Luton & Bedfordshire is working with three Luton Schools to raise awareness of water pollution in the town.  Read more ...