Huge plans for River Ribble as trust celebrate £3.2m cash injection

A cash injection of £3.2m is set to be pumped into improvements to the River Ribble after three years of hard work.
The river Ribble at Mitton in the Ribble Valley. Photo: Catherine Birtwistle, Ribble Rivers Trust.The river Ribble at Mitton in the Ribble Valley. Photo: Catherine Birtwistle, Ribble Rivers Trust.
The river Ribble at Mitton in the Ribble Valley. Photo: Catherine Birtwistle, Ribble Rivers Trust.

The money will go towards developing and maintaining the river as part of a “flagship project” in Lancashire over the next four years.

The Ribble Rivers Trust started the ‘Ribble Life Together’ project in 2014 and yesterday celebrated securing £1.6m from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

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The other £1.6m has been pledged by other organisations including the Environment Agency and the National Rivers Trust.

The River Ribble in Sawley which has burst its banks.The River Ribble in Sawley which has burst its banks.
The River Ribble in Sawley which has burst its banks.

The programme of physical improvement projects and activities will span the entire Ribble Catchment, from the source of the Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales, down to the estuary at Lytham.

Jack Spees, chief executive of Ribble Rivers Trust, said: “It involves planting thirty new riparian woodlands and constructing 15 new wetlands at priority areas to help reduce pollution, increase biodiversity, provide natural flood risk management and reduce climate change impacts. Hopefully this will create a lasting legacy for the catchment and the communities that live and work here.”

The cash will see 14 new fish passes installed on weirs that currently prevent the natural migration of fish.

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Scientific monitoring will also be installed determine how much the river environment improves as a result of these interventions.

The River Ribble in Sawley which has burst its banks.The River Ribble in Sawley which has burst its banks.
The River Ribble in Sawley which has burst its banks.

A new website has been set up for the project – www.ribblelifetogether.org – which will act as a hub of information for people wanting to know more about the project and their local rivers in general.