The Thames Estuary Partnership has a vision for the Thames: a river that is healthy, appreciated, and accessible for all. One of our longest-running projects was set up with these aims specifically in mind, and is now in the midst of an exciting makeover.
Your Tidal Thames (YTT for short) is a collaborative partnership made up of public bodies, NGOs, outreach groups and researchers. These organisations cover the Thames all the way from Teddington to the sea. The group’s principal aim is to bring together all the stakeholders and interested parties along the tidal Thames, to protect and improve the river environment for everyone.
Co-hosted by Thames21 and the Thames Estuary Partnership, YTT was originally set up to help implement the Water Framework Directive, a landmark EU initiative designed to catalyse the cleaning of rivers across the continent. The Directive works at the level of the river basin; for the Thames, this was realised through the Environment Agency’s Catchment Based Approach.
Piloted in 2012, YTT has since produced a number of influential projects, most notably the Unflushables campaign, which promotes lifestyle changes to avoid non-flushable household items entering our rivers. After a pause in campaigning in recent years, YTT is now very much back in action, with Thames21's Jessica Van Grootvelt and TEP's very own Eve Sanders taking the reins.
YTT's engagement vision for the Tidal Thames Catchment Area, originally produced in 2014, captures the programme's priorities:
We envisage a tidal Thames that is more accessible, greener and more connected to the wider London landscape and the sea. A river that benefits people, businesses and wildlife.
In order to realise this vision, YTT focuses its championing and project work on the following themes:
• Access to riverside, onto the river and onto the foreshore
• Flooding and flood storage
• Habitats and wildlife
• Public perception and education
• Redevelopment and riverside planning
The tidal Thames has a long history of collaborative and partnership working, often facilitated by TEP, which have been instrumental in enhancing London’s iconic river. Now, the rejuvenated YTT promises to boost the efforts of TEP, Thames21 and all its other partners, as we begin a new decade of restoration and sustainable management.
For more information, check out the Your Tidal Thames webpage.
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