The footbridge and island at Barnes Green are open. Richmond Council confirmed on 1 October that the restoration of the Beverley Brook is finished: the brook now runs along a meandering channel rather than a straightened one, the banks have been reworked, and trees and wildflowers have been planted. The island is reached by an accessible footbridge, so buggies and wheelchairs can get across. The council says more fish are in the brook and damselflies are over the water already.
The work was funded through a Defra flood resilience programme run with Barnes Common Ltd and the wetlands charity WWT, and the point of it is not only prettiness: the brook can now take more water when it rains hard. That matters to anyone near the Green who has watched the water rise. The test comes with the first serious winter downpour.
- The Beverley Brook restoration at Barnes Green is complete and the bridge and island are open to the public.
- The brook now flows along a more natural, meandering channel, with a new island reached via an accessible footbridge.
- The council reports more fish in the brook and damselflies above the water.
- The project was delivered through Community BlueScapes, a Defra-funded flood resilience partnership between Richmond Council, Barnes Common Ltd and WWT, under an Environment Agency programme.
- The work increased the brook's capacity to respond to heavy rainfall.
Every factual claim in this story is linked to the evidence behind it. Where the newsroom has added judgement or framing, it is listed separately. Sources accessed 2 October 2026.
Claim by claim (5 facts, 2 editorial judgements)
- The Beverley Brook restoration at Barnes Green is complete and the bridge and island are open to the public. — council news, 2026-10-01“the bridge and island now open for everyone to explore and enjoy”
- The brook now flows along a more natural, meandering channel, with a new island reached via an accessible footbridge. — council news, 2026-10-01“The brook now flows along a more natural, meandering river channel, with a new island to explore via an accessible footbridge. The riverbanks have been improved, and new trees and wildflowers planted.”
- The council reports more fish in the brook and damselflies above the water. — council news, 2026-10-01“We're already seeing more fish in the brook and damselflies darting above the water”
- The project was delivered through Community BlueScapes, a Defra-funded flood resilience partnership between Richmond Council, Barnes Common Ltd and WWT, under an Environment Agency programme. — council news, 2026-10-01“Community BlueScapes is a Defra-funded flood resilience partnership between Richmond Council, Barnes Common Ltd and WWT – the charity for wetlands and wildlife. This project is part of the £200 millio”
- The work increased the brook's capacity to respond to heavy rainfall. — council news, 2026-10-01“we've also increased the capacity of the Beverley Brook to respond to heavy rainfall”
- Judgement: The accessible bridge means buggies and wheelchairs can reach the island.
- Judgement: The real test of the flood work will come with the first heavy winter rainfall.
