The River Colne Community Festival took place last Saturday bringing together residents and visitors to celebrate the River Colne.. this event saw attendees connect with nature and take action to preserve it for future generations Organised in partnership with Watford Council the free event offered something for everyone From engaging discussions with river experts to hands-on activities like riverfly sampling and guided walks along the river the festival showcased the incredible community spirit dedicated to protecting and enhancing this vital natural resource A heartfelt thank you goes to everyone who attended Your enthusiasm and passion made the day a resounding success We also extend our deepest gratitude to the incredible volunteers whose dedication brought the event to life and to our generous sponsors for their vital support said: “I am thrilled to see our community come together to celebrate the River Colne at our community festival This was an opportunity for residents to see the important work we have done for a cleaner River Colne Events like this highlight the power of collaboration and inspire us all to take action to protect this precious environment for future generations.” Portfolio Holder for Transport and Sustainability said: "The River Colne is a vital part of our ecosystem and community The River Colne Community Festival showcased the incredible work being done by volunteers I’m proud to see such strong commitment from our residents and partners as we work together for a sustainable future." Operations Manager at Groundwork East said: “The festival was a fitting celebration to all that is happening to restore the River Colne in Watford local experts and of course the local community who are increasingly involved in our nature activities enjoying the river and Watford’s green spaces.” View upcoming events and volunteering opportunities An investigation is underway after the death of a man in Colne We were called at 7.12pm on Tuesday (28th January) to Oakfield Lodge Our officers attended and gained entry to a caravan where a man was found unresponsive the man – aged 52 – was pronounced dead at the scene He can be named as Stuart Burns who lived at the address Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones at this distressing time A Home Office postmortem examination has been carried out but an exact cause of death has yet to be established Further tests are being carried out to try and establish exactly how Mr Burns died The postmortem examination did show Mr Burns had suffered a number of serious injuries sustained during a recent assault and while these injuries did not cause his death we are investigating the circumstances A 36-year-old man was arrested at the scene initially on suspicion of murder but now on suspicion of Section 18 wounding said: “My thoughts first and foremost are with Mr Burns’ loved ones at this time “While Mr Burns' death is not being treated as a homicide we do believe he has been the victim of an assault prior to his death where he suffered a number of injuries and we are investigating the circumstances I would appeal to anyone who has any information which could assist us in our enquiries to come forward and contact police.” Anyone with any information is asked to contact police on 101 you can contact independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 Copyright © Lancashire Constabulary 2025 HS2’s record-breaking 3.4km long viaduct across the Colne Valley last night (21 Nov) won in the engineering category of the Fine Art Commission Trust’s third annual Building Beauty award recognises what judges described as an engineering and design “tour de force that despite its scale… treads lightly It added: “The result is a breathtaking composition its drama enhanced by its curving form as it crosses the lake.” Four members of the delivery team from HS2 Ltd its main works civil engineering contractor and viaduct architects Grimshaw accepted the award on behalf of the whole project team Construction of HS2’s – and the UK’s – longest rail viaduct (pictured) began near Denham on London’s north western edge in 2021 a joint venture between Bouygues Travaux Publics it drew upon international expertise to create a landmark structure to carry 320km/h trains in a gentle curve across land and water In September 2024 the last of exactly 1,000 giant concrete pre-cast segments used to build the structure’s deck was fitted into place Weighing up to 140 tonnes and made on site each one is uniquely shaped to achieve the viaduct’s curve and the varying lengths of its 57 arch spans that reach down to piers built on land and in two lakes More than 30,000 people are working to deliver HS2 during its peak construction phase The programme will soon start the transition to its next critical stage – the awarding of rail and track contracts as development of the working railway takes shape HS2 will provide reliable and shorter journeys between London and Birmingham By carrying intercity services that previously went via the West Coast Main Line the new line with its new trains will free up space on the southern section existing mainline creating potential for more local and freight services "For such a massive object it treads lightly and moves delicately – even the expansion joints are elegant The concrete is varied in form and treatment with smooth surfaces set off by gentle corrugation; the acoustic wings attached to the sides of the bridge are There is nothing gratuitous or pedestrian here its drama enhanced by its curving form as it crosses the lakes the curve of the whole picking up the curves of the individual arches and then each curve reflected in the water." Collecting the award from His Royal Highness on behalf of HS2 Ltd “I am delighted to receive the Fine Art Commission Trust’s Building Beauty 'engineering’ award on behalf of HS2 Ltd and the dedicated team of thousands who have demonstrated their commitment and professionalism day in “From the earliest days of planning the high speed line’s route through the Colne Valley we set out to deliver a viaduct that met our Design Vision’s three guiding principles: that it works for all people to benefit and enjoy; its design has a sense of place; and stands the test of time so it is extremely gratifying to see the Colne Valley viaduct achieve such prestigious recognition.”  “We are delighted to win Engineering Award for the design and construction of the viaduct which has been a huge technical challenge for everyone involved Once the stunning design was finalised the challenge was to get it built and huge credit should go to all the different teams involved within Align working with our numerous supply chain partners This is an award for everyone on the project building what I have no doubt will be the most iconic feature of HS2.”  “This award recognises the critical role of large-scale infrastructure to not only transform the way we travel The design of the viaduct celebrates the architecture of engineering balancing challenging technical demands with an elegant refined structure that treads lightly over its unique landscape setting. This extraordinary structure is a collective solution resulting from deep collaboration The Colne Valley viaduct’s construction will next move into the rail systems installation phase as it progresses towards becoming an operational part of the new high speed railway between 2029 and 2033 You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience > Home > Error 404: Page not found we've not found what you've been looking for Please try the navigation or search at the top of the page This year marks the 200th anniversary of the modern railway Since the first passengers travelled by train rail travel has boosted our prosperity and enhanced the quality of our lives HS2 staff and contractors are pictured here celebrating this national milestone on a newly built section of Colne Valley Viaduct the longest railway bridge in the UK – almost a kilometre longer than the Forth Bridge in Scotland.  Britain’s proud industrial past and its bright future in one image:  The new viaduct will carry Britain’s new high-speed railway approximately 10m above the surface of the river Colne the Grand Union Canal and other waterways were the most efficient way to transport people and goods supporting the first industrial revolution HS2 will connect our biggest economic centres and has already kickstarted multi-billion-pound plans for regeneration around HS2’s new stations Developments will feature thousands of new homes The investment HS2 has attracted to the West Midlands alone is projected to add £10 billion to the regional economy over the next 10 years creating 41,000 additional homes and 30,000 new jobs.  HS2 is the first new intercity railway to be built north of London in more than a century A choice of high resolution images and short video clips are available as attachments to this email. If you experience any issues downloading these files please contact us at railway200@gbrtt.co.uk. to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years Residents passionate about protecting the River Colne are invited to a special River Colne Coffee Evening at Watford Rugby Club on Thursday 3 April in partnership with Watford Borough Council offers a friendly and informal space for locals to connect and share ideas on how to expand community efforts to preserve this much-loved natural space said: "The River Colne is a treasured part of our local environment and it’s fantastic to see the community coming together to protect it This event is a great opportunity for residents to share their ideas and get involved in making a real difference." said: ““We are delighted to run another volunteer coffee evening in Watford They have been a great way of engaging with current and new volunteers to continue the legacy of the River Colne Watford wouldn’t be the town it is today and without the people Whether you're an experienced volunteer or just looking to learn more this event is open to everyone who cares about the future of the River Colne.  Find out more about this important project Posted by | Apr 25, 2025 | | 0 A charity is setting up free business mentoring and training in the Colne Valley and wants local businesses to help shape it Netherton-based charity The Lorna Young Foundation has been successful in receiving funding from the National Lottery to create free training and mentoring in order to improve business knowledge As well as helping those already running a business it will be suitable for those wanting to set up a business but without the contacts The charity is running the scheme in partnership with In The Colne Valley – a not-for-profit organisation run by volunteers which aims to foster a collaborative culture where businesses support local schools and community initiatives – along with Marsden-based Dark Woods Coffee has urged people to take part in a short survey She said: “In order to ensure we design exactly the right sort of training and mentoring opportunities that people want and need we’ve put together a quick survey for businesses and potential start-ups to complete We’re also asking for experienced business people to offer a bit of time with mentoring or training “We need to get a good feel for exactly what sort of training and mentoring can be offered all the way down the Colne Valley so please do help us out by quickly completing our survey.” To access the survey go to https://form.typeform.com/to/qATYmRJm The Lorna Young Foundation was set up in 2010 in honour of Lorna Young from Scotland who worked tirelessly to encourage UK supermarkets to sell Fair Trade produce She had suffered from a heart condition all her life and died suddenly in 1996 aged just 44 The charity works internationally and its goal is to facilitate the exchange of knowledge products and ideas that enable people and improve lives in a sustainable way For more on the charity go to https://www.lyf.org.uk Written by ANDY HIRST who runs his own Yorkshire freelance journalism agency AH! PR (https://ah-pr.com/) specialising in press releases copywriting and ghost-writing autobiographies Huddersfield Hub supports free business networking event in the HuddLitFest tipi As part of the Tales of the River section of the wider project the council are looking to commission an artist or artists to create a new piece of public art.. This is an exciting opportunity generously funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund Watford has engaged with a range of community groups schools and businesses to engage them and build upon the art and heritage of the river Part of this project also saw two writers deliver writing and poetry workshops with two different groups and then deliver two pieces of writing about the River Colne Watford are looking for artists with experience in dealing with public art pieces and especially artists who are looking to work sustainably and The deadline for applications is set for Thursday 9 January 2025. To apply, please email: lewis.butler@watford.gov.uk Any further questions or queries are welcome as well Grounwork and Salix will launch the next phase of the ‘Rediscovering the River Colne’ programme by restoring Waterfields Recreation Ground.. Watford Borough Council partners Salix will commence restoration works at Waterfields Recreation Ground—an exciting new phase in the ground-breaking ‘Rediscovering the River Colne’ programme These works will restore and enhance the river’s natural beauty more vibrant environment for both wildlife and the local community Upon completion of these works—and alongside our partners at Groundwork—we will have transformed 52% of the River Colne through Watford said: “I’m delighted that these restoration works at Waterfields Recreation Ground will soon begin This important project shows our commitment to protecting and enhancing the River Colne for generations to come By reconnecting the floodplain and promoting biodiversity we’re ensuring both local residents and wildlife can enjoy the very best of our borough’s green spaces.” said: "These improvements mark a significant milestone in our 'Rediscovering the River Colne' programme Not only will they rejuvenate this precious natural resource but they will also bring new life and colour to Waterfields Recreation Ground - making it a place where people and wildlife can truly thrive."  Contract Manager at Salix River and Wetland Services Ltd said: "Salix is excited to begin work on this important project and be a part of the ‘Rediscovering the River Colne’ programme Our team specialises in environmental restoration and we are eager to start delivering these enhancements and benefits for the local community We look forward to seeing the positive impact this project will have on both the river and the people of Watford and we are committed to ensuring it is a success for all involved." For more information about the ‘Rediscovering the River Colne’ programme and updates on the works at Waterfields Recreation Ground, please visit www.rivercolnewatford.co.uk