Work has been completed on the Darent CAMS. Find out more.
About the area
The upper catchment is an attractive valley between the dramatic North Downs scarp slope and the gentler lee slope of the Lower Greensand where the river is fed by a multitude of springs flowing to Sevenoaks. Near Otford, the Darent meets the Honeypot stream before heading north through the narrow valley carved through the North Downs.
Downstream of South Darenth, the character of the valley changes dramatically, as land becomes flatter and more urbanised. After meeting the Cray, the Darent winds through the Dartford and Crayford Marshes before entering the Thames Estuary.
The River Cray, and its tributary the River Shuttle, are predominately urban rivers, flowing through the London Boroughs of Bromley and Bexley. Close proximity to London means that a large population is dependent on the Darent and Cray, as it provides important access to water based recreation and creates an environmetal education resource.
Some of the issues that will be covered include:
- Reviewng the water availability across the whole catchment, by taking into account the water needs of both people and the environment.
- Evaluating the present licensing strategy for the Darent and Cray catchment.
- Balancing the interests public water water supply with conservation and recreation.
- Providing a greater opportunity for public involvement in the process of managing water abstraction.
If you abstract water or are interested in water use within this area, this is a great opportunity to become involved in the strategy and voice your opinions.
What does the CAM do?
The CAMS gives you more information on the current status of water resource availability in the catchment and proposes a management/licensing policy to improve the sustainability of water for the future.
The map shows the Darent and Cray CAMS area. The Darent and Cray catchements reflect the nature of South East England. The industrial activity of the Thames Estuary and leafy suburbs of South East London are separated from rural Kent by broad areas of Green Belt.
Timetable
- Start Development: April 2005
- Stakeholder group set up: Autumn 2005
- Consultation document published: Summer 2006
- Final CAMS published: April 2007
- Next cycle starts: April 2011
Introductory leaflet
An introductory leaflet is produced at the start of each CAMS and is designed to raise awareness about the CAMS within the catchment and of the opportunities you have to get involved.
It also invites written comments on any relevant issues, information or views that you would like us to take into account during the early stages of the CAMS. Darent and Cray CAMS
Consultation document - October 2006 Consultation Document
The CAMS consultation document describes the water resources position in the catchment, proposes local abstraction licensing policies and stategies to manage the resource in a more sustainable way.
Statement of response
This summarises responses to the consultation document and highlights the key points raised.
CAMS final document
The Catchment Abstraction Management is the final document that sets out the licensing strategy for the catchment.
CAMS technical document
This holds all the detailed supporting information on which the CAMS has been based. This is a large document and a version is available on CD ROM.
Contact
If you need more infomation or want to obtain a copy of this document, please send an email to:
