Riverside Regeneration
The Trust was central to the Natural Environment Project and helped to create the vision and was involved throughout in planning and delivering the project.
We installed nineteen fishing platforms along the north bank of the river, information boards on both sides of the river and a Community Garden was built and looked after by the Lock Lane Residents Group.
We produced a book with an exhibition of the paintings used to illustrate the book and three DVD's.
These have been used by local schools and groups to inform people about our heritage and community led projects in the Urban Renaissance Programme in Castleford.
In addition The Trust would like to thank the Environment Agency for supplying the following information.
The fish pass scheme was designed, developed and constructed in parallel with a new footbridge over the river at the weir, itself part of a wider project for the regeneration of the town of Castleford,
with a strong partnership of the Environment Agency, Wakefield MDC (the promoter of the footbridge) and the Canal & River Trust (the owner of the weir) leading to significant external funding being awarded to the project.
The works were designed by Ove Arup & Partners and constructed by Costain Ltd concurrently with the new footbridge.
Removing the obstruction to fish migration at Castleford weir on the River Aire, improves the biodiversity and sustainability of fish populations in the catchment which are recovering as water quality improves.
The fish pass enables all species of fish to migrate upstream in the River Aire and also into the lower reaches of the River Calder.
Alongside the footbridge, the fish pass is making the river a better place and connecting the community back to an intrinsic part of the town’s history.
The construction cost was about £350K (£353,418 to be precise). Feasibility, detailed design and other costs meant total scheme cost was around £400K.
Contains Environment Agency information © Environment Agency and database right.