Boardwalk opens across new beaver habitat

The 280m walk crosses the Old River Bed in Shrewsbury

A new boardwalk, spanning a wetland habitat in Shrewsbury, has opened to the public under a project to bring beavers to the location.

The 280m (920ft) route crosses the Old River Bed Site of Special Scientific Interest.

The plan is to reintroduce the species to the relatively urban habitat between two housing estates.

A family of the dam-building mammals is expected to be released there next summer.

The scheme is a partnership between Shropshire Wildlife Trust and the town council, using money from a number of charities and corporate environmental programmes.

An 8.5-hectare (46-acre) area of the river bed is being fenced off to keep the beavers within the site.

The project aims to manage undergrowth on Shrewsbury's Old River Bed

The project's benefits are expected to include better management of trees and undergrowth, which have had to be controlled with mechanical tools in the past.

According to the trust, the site - between the Herongate and Heath Farm estates - has the potential to be a "great wetland habitat" for insects, fish, birds and mammals, but that unchecked, tree growth would dry it out.

It said: "Beavers are a nature-based solution that will help the site flourish. They will help to control the growth of willows through natural coppicing and reduce their impact on the sensitive wetland habitat."

The new fencing will allow the beavers to roam within an area the size of 16 football pitches.

A number of schemes have promoted the introduction of beavers in England in recent years, including in urban areas.

But the government has resisted calls for it to promote species reintroduction nationally, saying it is focused on habitat restoration and reducing pollution.