The main structure of a new footbridge over the River Aire is making progress as a mobile crane lifts in the decks of the bridge section later this week.

The footbridge, part of the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme, is being constructed over the moveable weirs that are already in position at Knostrop.

The four bridge sections, are due to be installed this week and will be lifted into place by a 500 tonne crane. Once these are in place there will be 4 weeks of finishing work.
The new bridge structure will weigh approximately 150 tonnes and span approximately 70 metres. Designed by Knight Architects, the bridge has a sinuous form to reflect the movement of water over the new Knostrop Weir. It has been positioned to provide dramatic views of the weir in operation. The very narrow piers and curving underside of the bridge deck are designed to give the bridge a slender appearance when viewed from up or downstream.

The new footbridge is being installed to reconnect the much-used Trans Pennine Trail, following the removal of a section of island between the River Aire and Aire and Calder Navigation for flood risk reduction purposes.

Construction of the new Trans Pennine Trail along the north bank of the river will begin once the bridge has been installed. The new route of the Trans Pennine Trail will be opened on completion of the project in September.

Leader of Leeds City Council Councillor Judith Blake said:

It is very pleasing to see the new Knostrop footbridge being installed as part of the final touches of the first phase of the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme.

The bridge design is very attractive and striking, and will offer some fantastic views over the River Aire and of the new moveable weirs which I’m sure people will be keen to come and see for themselves.

Aside from the reassurance this scheme will offer to residents and businesses against the risk of flooding, it also brings important leisure and environmental benefits due to the views of the river as well as reconnecting the improved Trans Pennine Trail, offering the chance to see otters, salmon and other wildlife making the most of the improving water quality and access down river open for the first time in over 200 years.

At Knostrop, all three moveable weirs are now complete and fully operational. Similar weirs are also being constructed upstream at Crown Point as part of phase 1 of the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme.

Fish passes have been constructed on the new weirs at Knostrop and Crown Point, to help fish overcome these barriers and migrate upstream and further increase populations of species such as salmon.

The most obvious indictor of whether the fish passes are successful will be the sightings of salmon upstream of the weirs. Routine fish surveys will also be carried out by the Environment Agency to see any patterns in fish populations although there have already been sightings by angling enthusiasts of salmon through the city centre for the first time in over 200 years.

Rare and protected species, including otters, are now found in the River Aire catchment. This is a good indicator of improving water quality, following a history of heavy industry which depleted many species. Otters exist in a small but increasing population, and because of great improvement in water quality have been spotted in the city centre. An otter ramp has been installed at Knostrop to help them move up over the weir and otter holts will be built to help further encourage numbers.

The Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme is led by Leeds City Council in partnership with the Environment Agency and is split into two phases.

Phase 1 began in January 2015, and costing in the region of £50million, is one of the largest river flood defence schemes in the country. The scheme is putting in place formal flood defences along the River Aire for the first time. It has already seen works completed downstream in Woodlesford, and the city centre element which features the introduction of state-of-the-art moveable weirs at Crown Point and Knostrop is due to be completed this September. When finished, phase one of the scheme will indirectly safeguard 22,000 jobs and improve resilience for 3,000 homes and 500 businesses.

These applications have been submitted by the site operator to bring the site into line with the current regulations for conventional oil and gas sites. This is part of the Environment Agency’s review of all oil and gas permits granted prior to October 2013.

In deciding whether or not to issue the permits, the Environment Agency will take into account all relevant considerations and legal requirements.

You can view and comment on the applications.

An Environment Agency spokesperson said:

An environmental permit sets out stringent conditions to which a site must adhere. We will not issue or vary an environmental permit for a site if we consider that activities taking place will cause significant pollution to the environment or harm to human health.

We are in the process of determining the applications to re-permit this site and we want to hear from the public and understand peoples’ views. Everybody has the chance to see what the permit may look like and to raise any additional concerns before we make any final decision.

For all media enquiries please contact 0800 141 2743 or email Southeastpressoffice1@environment-agency.gov.uk.

A major £30m flood scheme to protect homes and businesses in Mytholmroyd is a step closer thanks to a decision made on 25 July by the Calderdale Flood Partnership Board.

The board approved the allocation of funding for the scheme following detailed investigation work carried out by the Environment Agency to ensure the highest possible standard of flood protection for the village. The Environment Agency will now apply for planning permission and construction is expected to commence in the autumn.

Following the flooding of December 2015, the Environment Agency has completed six new schemes, reducing flood risk to 500 homes as part of a £9 million recovery programme across Calderdale. In Mytholmroyd, significant work to clear the channel, repair damaged walls and make safe damaged buildings has already been carried out.

The new million scheme for Mytholmroyd has been developed in partnership with Calderdale Council, the local community, and partners. As design work is finalised, the current options for the scheme include:

• New, raised flood and improved walls
• The relocation of Caldene Bridge
• Widening of the river channel at key locations
• Strengthening and waterproofing of buildings next to the river.

Plans are for the scheme to be completed in phases and widening the river at Greenhill Industrial Estate will continue to be explored.

Adrian Gill, flood risk manager for the Environment Agency, said:

This is an important next step in building the right flood scheme for the village.

We have already completed a £9 million recovery programme across Calderdale to restore protection to communities following the flooding of December 2015 and have been working hard to ensure we provide the highest standard of protection. We will continue to listen to the local community and keep them informed as the project progresses.

Cllr Tim Swift, Calderdale Council’s leader, said:

I am very pleased that the board has agreed to allocate the funding required to enable this scheme to go ahead, which is really good news for Mytholmroyd residents and businesses. Of course, this is just one part of an ongoing programme of works to reduce the risk of flooding across Calderdale, and I would encourage people to regularly visit www.eyeoncalderdale.com to keep updated on all of the works.

A flood information centre is open in the village offering the public advice on flood resilience and the opportunity to speak to Environment Agency staff about plans for flood schemes in Calderdale.

Paul Beckett, of St James Green in Cotes Hill, Stafford, and Dominic Reece, of Essex Drive in Kidsgrove, were caught fishing on the River Dove at Eaton Dovedale on 18 March 2017. Beckett was fined £660 and Reece £370 by North Staffordshire Magistrates on 24 July 2017. Both men were also ordered to pay costs of £127. Beckett, 62, the case against whom was proved in his absence as he did not attend court, was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £66. Reece, 30, who pleaded guilty, was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £37.

Stuart Mitchell, 52, of Hillsprings Court in Rugeley, and John Hope, 27, of Moreton Street in Stoke-on-Trent, were caught fishing on the River Trent at Rugeley on 8 March 2017. Both men were fined £660 and ordered to pay costs of £127 and a victim surcharge of £66. As neither attended court, the cases against them were proven in their absence.

Chris Mitchell, 33, of Crossley Avenue in Wigan, was caught fishing at Rudyard Lake, Leek, on 19 February 2017. After pleading guilty he was fined £620 and ordered to pay costs of £127 and a victim surcharge of £62.

Andrew Eardley of the Environment Agency said:

Most anglers enjoying the sport fish legally, but there continues to be small number of anglers who fail to buy a fishing licence. These few are cheating their fellow anglers and the future of the sport.

An annual licence costs from just £30. It seems ridiculous that anglers risk significant fines and costs, a criminal conviction and the loss of their fishing equipment for such a small fee.

Money from fishing licence sales is invested in England’s fisheries and is used to fund a wide range of projects to improve facilities for anglers including protecting stocks from illegal fishing, pollution and disease; restoring fish stocks through re-stocking; eradicating invasive species; and fish habitat improvements. Licence money is also used to fund the Angling Trust to provide information about fishing and to encourage participation in the sport.

You need a valid Environment Agency fishing licence to fish for salmon, trout, freshwater fish, smelt or eel in England. Buying a rod licence is easy. A licence lasts 365 days from the day you buy it.

Anyone witnessing illegal fishing incidents in progress can report it directly to the Environment Agency hotline on 0800 80 70 60. Information on illegal fishing and environmental crime can also be reported anonymously to Crime stoppers on 0800 555 111.

The final part of Morpeth’s £27million flood alleviation scheme is complete.

Work to construct Cotting Burn dam was the last piece of work on the multi-million pound joint Environment Agency and Northumberland County Council flood scheme.

A drop-in event to thank residents for their patience throughout the construction took place on Friday 21 July.

Cotting Burn dam has been renamed “The Hargreaves Dam” in memory of RFCC Chairman Jon Hargreaves, who sadly passed away in October last year.

The dam works alongside other flood protection measures to reduce flood risk to around 1,000 properties in Morpeth.

New defences

To reduce the risk of flooding from the River Wansbeck, in-town defences were completed first, followed by the large upstream storage area at Mitford, which has already operated to protect the community. This year, tree poles were installed into the river near to Lowford Bridge to prevent large debris from reaching the town centre.

The construction of the new dam and storage area, which reduces the risk of flooding from the Cotting Burn, was finished in May and it is now operational.

It reduces the volume of water flowing downstream in large events. The screen on the dam also prevents debris from Cotting Wood from reaching the culvert and causing blockages.

Separate work by Northumberland County Council to address surface water flooding at several locations in the town is underway and scheduled for completion by March 2018 at a cost of £1m.

This is being financed through a government grant from the Environment Agency and county council funding.

Scheme is ‘biggest in the north east’

The Environment Agency’s Alan Cadas, Operations Manager in the North East, said:

The Morpeth flood scheme is the biggest in the North East and boasts one of the largest flood storage areas the Environment Agency has ever built.

But this work on the Cotting Burn is equally important and works together with the other features to ensure Morpeth is protected from both the burn and the River Wansbeck.

This has been a great partnership involving local residents, who have played, and continue to play, a vital role in the success of the scheme. It shows that by working together with others we can create long term solutions to reduce the risk of flooding in our communities.

Partnership project

Northumberland County Council has played a key role, contributing £12million, making it one of the first schemes of this scale to be jointly delivered by partners.

Councillor Glen Sanderson, Northumberland County Council’s Cabinet member for Environment and Local Services, said:

We’re delighted this major joint scheme to protect the people of Morpeth is now complete.

This was a great example of agencies working together on a hugely ambitious engineering project and the fact it has already been used more than proves its worth.

One of the cornerstones of the scheme has been the help and support of the local community, and their input and engagement has been absolutely invaluable throughout.