A SITE that was, until recently, blighted by some of the worst fly tipping in the district has been “reclaimed by nature.”

Almost exactly a year ago a fence was installed along a stretch of North Beck in Keighley in an attempt to tackle the horrific fly tipping that had turned the bank at the side of the waterway into a tip.

The work was done by the Aire Rivers Trust thanks to a grant of £9,000 from the Gannett Foundation, the charitable arm of the Telegraph & Argus’ parent company.

And the clean up was also supported by local companies Pennine Weavers and Marrose Abrasives

Now that the new measures to stop fly tipping have been in place for a year, the site is almost unrecognisable.

The grant was one of four awarded by the Gannett Foundation to local charities in early 2019.

The Aire Rivers Trust had applied for funding to secure the site from fly tippers.

GALLERY: River charity plans to clear up one of worst spots for fly tipping in the district

Steep banks along the side of the beck meant it was difficult to recover any waste that was thrown over the side - and this meant some of the items that had been dumped had been there for several years.

The fact that the land was unregistered meant clearing the waste was not any individual or organisation’s responsibility.

The Trust feared that as well as being an eyesore, the waste could end up in the beck, polluting the local water system.

The Gannett Foundation grant helped fund a 45 metre long, 2.4 metre high fence along the unregistered stretch of the bank on Mohair Street off Becks Road.

The high fence was seen as the best way of preventing people from pulling up to the site, emptying their vehicles of waste and tossing it over the wall and onto the bank.

Shortly before the fence was installed the group were involved in a major clean up of the site. Within just a few days of work five waggon loads of waste was removed fro the banks, including office chairs, furniture, electrical goods and ride-on toys.

After the site was cleared members of the Trust hoped the work would lead to the barren site becoming the waterside nature haven it should be.

Since being installed it appears that the fence has done its job of deterring people from illegal dumping at the site.

And without tonnes of waste spoiling the site, vegetation has thrived. And it is hoped that the improvement will lead to wildlife populating the banks.

Kevin Sunderland, Aire rivers Trust Trustee, said: “Vegetation has reclaimed the land and it will be a haven for insects and birds during the spring and summer.

“It’s still intact and seems to have lifted the whole area.

“There is a little bit of rubbish on the banking but it is only the odd smaller item which has been thrown over the fence. We intend to move this when Coronavirus permits.”

The other three groups that were awarded a gannet Foundation grant at the same time as the Aire River’s Trust were Bierley Community Association - awarded £5,530 towards a community garden project, Eccleshill Adventure Playground granted £8,795 to construct an outdoor play structure and the Friends of High Royds Memorial Garden in Menston who were given £5,000 to create a sensory garden.