'City's becks are really important for river health'

Nick Milsom, from the Aire Rivers Trust, says areas like Fagley Beck are "really important sites"

If you dart down an overgrown ginnel on the Fagley estate in Bradford, a hidden green gem unfurls in front of you.

Running silently through this unexpected pocket of flora and fauna, nestled between hundreds of homes and an industrial estate, is Fagley Beck.

Today, there is an overturned sofa amidst the reeds, while there is a discarded mattress on the grass where a tethered horse has recently been grazing.

It is here that the Aire Rivers Trust hopes a new project will make a difference over the next 18 months.

The trust has just been awarded a £247,000 lottery grant for its Roots in the River project, aimed at restoring some of Bradford's becks and waterways.

"Really we want to engage with local people, local communities, and get them to take a real active interest in the becks and the river," Nick Milsom, from the trust, explains.

Many of the becks in Bradford support aquatic and bird life, despite being illegally used as dumping grounds for rubbish

Mr Milsom, who manages the trust's conservation programme and river restoration contractors, says such sites are vital.

"The beck is still part of the natural water cycle, so we expect clean water to be entering the beck then going into the river," he says.

"These are really important sites for the river's health."

Mr Milsom says part of the aim of the Roots in the River project is to connect people to the natural habits alongside Fagley Beck and other smaller becks in the Bradford area, as well as Keighley's River Worth.

All were heavily altered during the course of the Industrial Revolution and afterwards.

However, the trust says they remain vital wildlife corridors, connecting habitats and enabling species movement.

Fagley Beck is known to be used by herons as well as songbirds like the Meadow Pipet and Dunnock

Supporting the project, Chris Hayden, Labour councillor for the Eccleshill Ward, says: "I know residents care deeply about this corner of our neighbourhood.

"The community outreach project will focus on Fagley Beck as it runs through Fagley and Ravenscliffe Woods towards Greengates.

"It will provide a chance for local people to get involved with activities that aim to improve well-being through access to nature, and improve habitats for wildlife."

A ginnel leads to the start of Fagley Beck, one of many the trust hopes to improve during the project

Meanwhile, Rachel Forsyth, chief executive of the Aire Rivers Trust, says the project represents "a real change" in how it works with local communities to support the health of the river.

Ms Forsyth says the aim is "to understand what different people want and need from us and the river".

That will mean "overcoming barriers to involvement and deepening connection with local places and nature", she adds.

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