Final phase of moorland restoration work begins

The final phase of moorland restoration work at a West Yorkshire beauty spot has begun.

It is hoped the work on Ilkley Moor will be completed by the end of March.

The restoration has involved lifting large stones into position to slow down the flow of water from the moor and reduce the risk of flooding in Wharfedale, as well as planting vegetation to improve biodiversity.

Bradford Council said the work would "secure multiple benefits from this well-loved site and address, in our own way, some of the local impacts of climate change".

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw added: “The work, once completed, will allow biodiversity to thrive on the moor, help with reducing flooding in Wharfedale, enhance the moor’s ability to capture and lock up carbon in the peat and increase its resilience to damaging wildfire."

Other restoration activity will include planting sphagnum moss plants, which form peat, pathway improvements to reduce erosion and run-off, bracken management and cutting the heather "to create a more diverse moorland vegetation mosaic", a Bradford Council spokesperson said.

The off cuts will be used to create heather bales, which are used to stem the flow of water from the moorland, they added.

More than 350 stone dame will be built and 200 trees will be planted.

The project is being completed by Bradford Council’s Countryside and Land Drainage teams, the Moors for the Future Partnership, Friends of Ilkley Moor, Net Zero North contractors and Rebel Restoration.

It has been funded by a combination of the council's climate emergency funding, grant funding secured by the Moors for the Future Partnership and contributions from Rebel Restoration and the Friends of Ilkley Moor.

Richard Brewster, conservation works officer at the Moors for the Future Partnership said a monitoring programme was taking place to record data and assess the benefits of the restoration work.

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