First phase of Shipley river restoration project completed

The scheme to improve water quality, increase biodiversity, and reduce flood risk in Shipley is focused on Northcliffe Dike and forms part of the ‘Better Becks’ partnership project led by the Aire Rivers Trust.

It is funded by the Environment Agency and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

Ineke Jackson, project manager at the Environment Agency, said: "This exciting project will bring a welcome boost to biodiversity in the Northcliffe Dike.

"Working with our partners, we’re helping to restore river features to improve water quality and provide more opportunities for a range of species to thrive.

"The work aims to let the beck flow more naturally, which will also increase flood resilience."

The project uses Natural Flood Management processes which help store water in the catchment naturally.

The Aire Rivers Trust team and volunteers have built leaky dams, created brash bundles to trap silt and stabilise soil, and placed woody materials on the hillside and in the side gullies of the valley to divert water in peak flow.

These measures aim to increase biodiversity and slow the flow of water and sediment downstream.

Jim Hirst, river enhancement officer at the Aire Rivers Trust, said: "Alongside the in-channel works, we also carried out a range of measures to enhance biodiversity and improve public access to the site.

"Controlling invasive non-native species (INNS) is essential for protecting native flora.

"The first phase of the project involved removing Gaultheria shallon (shallon), an evergreen shrub native to North America that spreads through underground rhizomes.

"We also removed regenerating beech saplings to increase light penetration and create more open areas within the woodland.

"A section of the footpath had become heavily eroded, boggy, and difficult to use.

"It was repaired, and drainage grips were installed to divert surface water across the hillside, reducing runoff and helping to slow the flow of water."

Northcliffe Dike runs into Bradford Beck, a highly responsive and flashy watercourse, reacting quickly to rainfall and rising rapidly, causing a risk of flooding to residential communities downstream.

The restoration is part of wider efforts to improve river health across the middle Aire catchment.