21/06/2005 - The wildlife
haven created as part of the Environment Agency’s
flood protection scheme for Knottingley will
be officially opened on Thursday 30 June.
Local people are being encouraged to attend
to celebrate the opening, which will take
place at the haven off West Ings Lane at 11.30am.
A simple tree planting ceremony will take
place when Professor Roy Ward will officially
declare the wetland open.
Ward Wildlife Haven has been named in honour
of Professor Roy Ward who retires on 30 June
having served for five years as the chairman
of the Yorkshire Regional Flood Defence Committee,
the body that sets priorities and helps raise
funding for flood risk management across Yorkshire.
Professor Ward steered the region through
the devastating floods of 2000 and 2002 and,
at a national level, successfully championed
the increase of funding for flood defences
in the region.
The six hectares of wildlife haven provide
a wetland habitat that will encourage water
voles, otters, reed warblers and great crested
newts into the area.
A footpath along the top of the new flood
bank allows people to wander through and enjoy
the site, and links into the existing footpath
network.
The team at the Environment Agency hope that
in a few years it will be officially classified
as a site of local importance as virtually
all areas of this type of wetland habitat,
are designated as Sites of Scientific Interest
(SSI) or Sites of Special Scientific Interest
(SSSI).
Sarah Burtonwood, the Environment Agency’s
project manager for the flood protection scheme
said: "We’re delighted to have been able
to create this wonderful community resource,
on top of increasing the protection from flooding
to nearly 250 properties in Knottingley.
"It’s an honour to be able to name it
after Professor Roy Ward, without whom the
Environment Agency would have a lot less money
to spend on flood protection in Yorkshire."
The project has been funded by the Yorkshire
Regional Flood Defence Committee and the Department
for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
The Environment Agency is the leading organisation
for protecting and improving the environment
in England and Wales. It is responsible for
making sure that air, land and water are looked
after by today’s society, so that tomorrow’s
generations inherit a cleaner, healthier world.
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Ward Wildlife Haven & Knottingley flood
alleviation scheme facts & figures
244 properties were at risk from flooding
before the new flood defence scheme was built.
230 of these were likely to have flooded every
year
99% (by weight) of the construction materials
used in the flood alleviation scheme have
been reused or recycled
26,000m3 of clay was used to construct the
flood bank. This was taken from a railway
embankment
More than 70% of the sheet steel piles used
at the site have been previously used elsewhere
The wetland covers six hectares – nearly nine
times bigger than the pitch at the Jungle,
home of the Castleford Tigers
Only native species have been planted at the
site, sourced as locally as possible
The site has been designed to encourage rare
species such as water voles, otters, great
crested newts and reed warblers
The wetland will help to form an environmental
corridor along the River Aire, linking nearby
Fairburn Ings, Willow Garths nature reserve
and Pen Bank
It is hoped that a local wildlife trust will
take on management of the wildlife haven,
steered by local people.
