North West Kent Countryside Partnership

Cray Catchment Improvement Group

The Cray Catchment Improvement Group (CIG) is a collaboration of different organisations who represent the various interests on the river and who are working with the purpose of developing and delivering the Catchment Improvement Plans for the river.

Catchment planning aims to explore environmental issues, challenges and opportunities within the river catchment at a local level through stakeholder engagement. Through partnership working, actions for innovative and collaborative solutions can be explored and delivered. This approach will connect existing activities and foster greater local ownership for greater action and engagement.

Whilst the River Basin Management Plans have identified the issues which exist at a wider 'River Basin' level, the Catchment Improvement Plan process will be routed in local actions. This process is designed to be a tool to identify where resources should be directed to deliver priority actions and ensure the approaches used are the best way of meeting the objectives.

The Catchment Improvement Plans will be used to support the second cycle of River Basin Management Planning and these documents will include catchment by catchment summaries. They will also be valuable to feed into local action plans for coordinated delivery with the help of all stakeholders.

The hosting of the CIG will be by the North West Kent Countryside Partnership (NWKCP) whose role is to assist with the facilitation and the administration of the group. The group's primary purpose is the development and delivery of the catchment improvement plan.

The development, consultation, promotion and the delivery of the catchment improvement plan is the collective responsibility of all partners in the Catchment Improvement Group.

Have your say about the River Cray by completing our online questionnaire

We are seeking your experience regarding the River Cray Catchment Plan.

The River Cray Catchment improvement Group is currently developing the Cray catchment plan. This plan aims to improve and maintain a natural river for the benefit of both wildlife and people.

We want to hear your thoughts about your local stretch of the river - what you like about it, what you don't like, what would help you love it more, and finally what you can suggest be done to improve it. (Even if you don't live near to the river, we'd still like to hear from you if you have comments to make about it!)

Please help us by filling in this questionnaire, so together we can make the entire length of the River Cray a better place.

Click here to take survey

Contacting the CIG

The CIG will be hosting events, workshops and consultations to understand your prioirties for the river. There is opportunity for your views to be raised at the CIG meeting by contacting one of the CIG partners.

However, if you feel your views are not represented by one of the exisitng partners please contact the chair of the group to discuss representing your group/organisation at the CIG or to find other ways to become involved.

Chair: Mark Gallant, North West Kent Countryside Partnership

Email: m.gallant@nwkcp.org

Telephone: 01322 294 727

Cray CIG Meeting Summary

Meeting Agenda - 28th of August 2012

- NWKCP hosting and co-ordination role for Cray Catchment

Introduction and what this means for the Improvement Group

- Cray Open Day Visitors Survey

- Discussion on content & next steps

- CIG communication strategy

- Comments & suggestions related to the 'River Cray Catchment Improvement Group' such as name and Terms of Reference

- Update on Cray and Shuttle projects, funding, engagement etc. from all partners around the table

- Introduction to WWF/NWKCP River Restoration and Engagement Project

Meeting Agenda - 11th of December 2012

- Bromley Cray Open Day event

- Summary of comments and feedback

- Discussion about the community engagement strategy for the future

- Updated draft Cray Catchment Plan

- Groundwater issues in the Cray Catchment

Presentation by Scott Cole Environment Agency

- Update on Cray and Shuttle projects, funding, engagement etc from all Partners around the table

Meeting Agenda - 26th of February 2013

- Introduction to the work of the EA's Land and Water Team
- DRiPs presentation:'An Alternative View On Caring for the Cray'
Steve Crowley DRiPS
- Development of the Cray Catchment Plan and identifying key aims & objective setting for the Catchment Plan
- Update on Cray and Shuttle projects, funding, engagement etc from all Partners from around the table
- Development of the CIG online consultation questionnaire
- Update on Knowledge hub
- Draft communication and engagement plan 

Meeting Agenda- 23rd of April 2013

- Introduction to the updated Terms of Reference (T.O.R) document for the group

- Update on the development of the Communication plan.

- Discussion on the development of the questions that will be used in the

online questionnaire

- Information and options for potential mitigation measures for the Cray

- Update on Cray and Shuttle projects, funding, engagement, and

summer events information from all Partners from around the table