THREE organisations are to work together on a project to encourage more fish into Bradford Beck from the River Aire.

Fish, such as trout and minnows, are able to ascend the river, but it remains difficult due to to obstructions on the bed.

There are three weirs and several sills under road bridges that the fish have to jump over in order to access parts of the beck.

The Environment Agency, Bradford Council and the Friends of Bradford's Becks (FOBB), are planning small modifications to make it easier for fish to get past.

The Wild Trout Trust has been looking at how timber sleepers could be bolted to the structures to make the water deep enough for fish at low flows and to break up the fast sheet flow across some of the aprons.

This first phase being developed is from the Aire up to Briggate.

The group is also discussing a second phase which would be to improve the next reach, from Briggate to Poplar Road and possibly as far upstream as Stanley Road.

After that, the Beck disappears underground until Thornton Road.

The improvements are also aimed to make the Beck accessible to salmon, tying in with DNAire, a major Heritage Lottery funded project between the Environment Agency and the Aire Rivers Trust to remove the last barriers on the Aire to salmon.

This would enable them to migrate all the way up to Gargrave, as well as hopefully into Bradford Beck.

Barney Lerner, chairman of FOBB said: “After seven years of campaigning, we are very pleased that work to improve the Beck for fish is being planned and is likely to start in the spring of 2019.

"It is the next step in the process of reversing 200 years of mistreatment of the Beck and making it an attractive and ecologically interesting feature of Bradford."

Ineke Jackson, project manager at the Environment Agency, said: “We are pleased to be working in partnership on a first phase of restoration of this heavily modified beck. We want to improve the quality of the watercourse for a range of fish and other species, as well as creating an enhanced river environment for the many people that walk, enjoy and live alongside it."

Saira Ali, team leader of Bradford’s landscape, design and conservation team, said: "We feel the works can make a huge difference to the ecology and amenity value of this important water course. We now have a great opportunity to not only improve the beck but also raise awareness amongst local residents as to its value."

To get involved with the Friends of Bradford's Becks group, email bradfordsbecks@gmail.com or find them on social media at facebook.com/groups/BradfordsBecks.