FOOTPATHS along the lower reaches of the River Worth are being spruced up as part of a major regeneration project.

Keighley Big Local is spearheading the repair and cleaning of paths linking neighbourhoods in the urban areas of the river.

A partnership of residents and local organisations has already worked on improvements at ‘School Lane’ which links Parkwood with Dalton Lane.

The snicket, which crosses the river next to Dalton Mills and emerges at Pitt Street, is heavily used by families walking to Parkwood Primary School and factory workers.

Big Local coordinator Shaun O’Hare said residents on the Big Local Partnership had worked closely with Bradford Council’s rights of way officer Darren Hinchcliffe.

He said: “They had a walkabout last month and we have identified footpaths in need of repair, improvement and cleaning.

“We have completed one package of footpath improvements which has gone down well with folk.”

Mr O’Hare said future improvement projects would involve contractors, training providers, the Community Payback team and residents.

He said the pilot project off Dalton Lane had been a fantastic example of the private sector helping communities realise their ideas.

Fiona Thompson, a member of the Keighley Big Local Partnership, added that the owners of Dalton Mills had contributed to the cost of the project.

She said: “We had a fantastic response from the mill and negotiated a package of works which has benefited everyone.

“We are really pleased to be working in partnership with the mill and look forward to working with them in the future to deliver the Keighley Big Local plan.”

One of the main themes in the Big Local plan for 2016 to 2018 is Future Streets, defined as “improving the street environment for all”.

Keighley Big Local has £1 million of lottery cash to spend over 10 years in the ‘Keighley Valley’ area.

That area runs from Stockbridge to Ingrow.

The group’s website says: “We are just getting started with our 10 year project that will bring local people together, to share ideas and to make our Big Local area a better place to live. We are putting the decision making power in the hands of the local people.

We know that this area of Keighley has historically not had access to many funding opportunities.”

Mr O’Hare said Keighley was surrounded by landscapes of contrasting character, from enclosed pasture to gritstone moorland and industrial settlements to flood plain pasture.

He said the many footpaths, bridleways and snickets in and around the Big Local area combined provided access to these landscapes.

He added: “ Keighley Big Local hopes to build more and more momentum with residents and business to help increase the number of people of all ages, all cultures and all abilities accessing the Big Local area and the surrounding countryside.”