The Pickerel Project is a voluntary group seeking to regenerate and improve access to the River Gipping in Stowmarket and make the riversides more attractive to people and wildlife, and nicer for everyone in the town.

The Project

The Pickerel Project Group is a non-profit environmental group whose objective is to contribute to the environmental management of the River Gipping by:

1. The improvement of wildlife habitat2. Improvement / enhancement of the

landscape and access to the river3. The promotion of public recreation4. The promotion of culture, heritage and

the arts

The Pickerel Project originally looked at ways of improving the river area in the heart of Stowmarket, close to the Pickerel Bridge, and now wants to improve the accessibility of all parts of the river corridors in the town for the benefit of all.

The group formed in 2000 and includes members of the local community and representatives from groups with an interest in regenerating the river corridor through Stowmarket.

Clear up days

On the first Sunday of every month a team of people get together to spend a couple of hours helping clear up the river bank.

It’s fun, good exercise, a great way to meet new people and excellent for the town and the environment - so why not come along and help? The Group meets at 10am at the Station Road Bridge for a couple of hours.

The clear up day on 2nd May was a big success, despite the wet and windy weather!

Many thanks go out to the 1st and 3rd Stowmarket Scouts for coming along to lend a hand (several hands actually). As we had such a good turn out we were able to go further downstream than normal and clear out a fair pile of debris that had accumulated over the winter.

More big clear ups are planned for the summer, when we’ll be making the most of the sunshine on 4th July and 1st August.

For more information contact the Secretary (details over the page).

A Community Group supported by The Gipping Valley Project, Suffolk County Council, Mid Suffolk District Council and Stowmarket Town Council in association with local businesses

Pickerel ProjectSummer Newsletter 2010

The River

1st and 3rd Stowmarket on 2nd

Birse Civils is now entering the final phases of its B1115 Relief Road project, with the most noticeable elements currently underway being the completion of the junction between Gipping Way and the new road, along with the works at the junction of Station Road and Gipping Way.

Landfast (Anglia) UK are developing a block of flats opposite the station on Station Road East, and will be implementing the Pickerel Project’s planting scheme in the process. The section of the river between Stowupland Street and Station Road is well used by residents and visitors and is the start of the Gipping Valley Path running to Ipswich.

The proposed work includes access ramps, new paths and a waterside boardwalk, and will improve the appearance of this area, increase the possibilities for wildlife habitats and to make it fully accessible to all.

The Pickerel Project meets every six months and the Pickerel Project Management Committee meets every three months, both in the Stowmarket Town Council Chamber.

For more information, contact the Secretary at sallys@stowmarket.org or on 01449 612060.

The members of the Pickerel Project Management Committee are:

Councillor Keith Scarff (Chairman)John Baldwin (Vice Chairman)Jon Pattle (Treasurer)Sally Scott (Secretary)Councillor Barry Salmon (Committee Member)Mike Smith (Committee Member)

A Community Group supported by The Gipping Valley Project, Suffolk County Council, Mid Suffolk District Council and Stowmarket Town Council in association with local businesses

B1115 Relief Road

One of the new bridge panels, showing scenes of

The new boardwalk along the river The work is well