Plans to fence off Thrapston river will go back to the town council after backlash from residents
A town council has received backlash over its ‘band-aid fix’ plans to put up fencing around a stretch of riverfront in Thrapston, after some residents complained about anti-social behaviour, noise disturbance and littering in the area.
Thrapston Town Council (TTC) voted to construct a 1.5m tall fence along the River Nene, by Nine Arches Way, after homeowners raised concerns about disturbances becoming more frequent at a council meeting held on Tuesday, July 15.
The decision has now been formally called in for review and will allow for further scrutiny of the decision due to the significant public interest in the issue.
No final or binding action will be taken before the review takes place and members of the public are welcome to attend to share their views for full reconsideration.
Local resident Kat Hodson said the river was the reason she moved to the town and that she strongly opposes it being fenced off.
She said: “Thrapston town has a wonderful sense of community where you see people coming together to enjoy the river.
"The wildlife is abundant in comparison to other places I’ve seen where rivers run through towns.
“What service is served by fencing off the part where families and friends come together to enjoy the water? All this would serve is people using more dangerous parts of the river and could lead to serious accidents.”
Thrapston resident Rosemary Balcer added: “I have never heard of anything so heavy handed, destructive, expensive and ludicrous for a problem that is seasonal and then mostly at weekends.
“I would like to urge the town council to think creatively, embrace the beautiful surroundings, promote the town, community and riverside which can be regarded only as an asset not a problem.”
According to minutes from the town council meeting, residents from Water’s Edge said inappropriate parking, excessive littering and nuisance behaviour were all becoming more common by the river.
It added that they felt ‘intimidated’ by those causing the issues and experienced verbal abuse when attempting to address individuals face-to-face.
Options were explored, including encouraging residents to continue reporting anti-social behaviour to the police, Thrapston Town Council funding a community warden to patrol the riverfront and investigating the possibility of parking restrictions in the area.
It was agreed that new signage be put up asking users to respect the countryside code and sign-posting motorists to use the Meadow Lane car park, as well as installing the fence for up to two years, “with the aim of reducing river usage and protecting the river edge by allowing natural barriers to grow”.
According to reports published by the council, the cost of the fencing could range from anywhere between £2,300 to £5,000.
‘It’s the minority ruining it for the majority’
Martin McGrath, who runs Whatsup Training, offering paddleboard sessions and river guiding on the Nene, said the access is important for families, open water swimmers and paddleboarders alike.
He said: “It came as a bit of a shock. We want to open up river access - it’s great for mental health and it’s great for physical well-being.
“The fence just creates a challenge for people who are going to want to climb over it, damage it or go under it. From a safety point of view, they’ve just created more of a problem.
“They could do with some more signage to encourage people to act in a more sensible way, not let’s go spend a lot of money on a fence that no-one particularly wants.”
Jo Penny, who lives near the river, agreed that there was a problem with anti-social behaviour at the site, but said the issue needed more than a ‘band-aid fix’ of fencing.
She described the riverfront as ‘unpleasant’ on her last few visits, with broken beer bottles, rubbish and overflowing bins littering the area.
She added: “It’s the minority ruining it for the majority. That behaviour needs to be tackled rather than erecting a pointless fence, which I fear would only be kicked down by the same people leaving their mess behind.”
Chairman of Thrapston Town Council, Craig Wheeler, said the fencing decision at the Nine Arches estate had been called in as ‘part of the council’s commitment to openness and due process’.
He continued: “The town council would like to emphasise that no final or binding action will be taken before the review takes place, and that the decision-making process will be carried out with full transparency.
”We are committed to hearing from residents, stakeholders and local organisations to ensure that all perspectives are taken into account.
“We ask that discussions remain respectful and constructive, in the spirit of community dialogue.
"Members of the public who wish to address the public meeting should register to do so by contacting the town clerk. Members of the public who wish to share their views ahead of the meeting may also do so by contacting the town clerk directly.
“The council remains focused on making balanced decisions in the best interests of the town, taking into consideration public safety, access, environmental concerns, and the community’s enjoyment of shared spaces.”
The review will take place at a public meeting next Thursday, on July 31, at 7.15pm at The Plaza Community Centre, Cosy Nook, Thrapston.
All members of the public are welcome to attend the meeting and the council says it will listen to the views of interested parties before reconsidering the matter in full.