A cleaner and greener borough with the Environment Agency

Date published: 17 May 2021

Hello from everyone at the Environment Agency and welcome to our latest round-up exclusively for Rochdale Online. With summer just over the horizon, our teams have been busy getting prepared for the start of a new season.

Read on to find out how we have been dealing with flood risk, fish and all the day-to-day activities that protect our environment whatever the weather.

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Out and about with the EA Field Teams

All has been relatively calm following Storm Christoph and our field teams have caught up on clearing away the debris left behind. We have 134 debris screens in the area of Rochdale and wider Greater Manchester, which all get checked on a regular basis, but over the last couple of months, the team has also responded to around 50 reports from members of the public who have spotted issues in their local watercourse. These have consisted of all types of blockages from trees to illegal fly tipping.

As we head into warmer months, our teams have started on their spring and summer maintenance programme and you are likely to see them out and about grass cutting and maintaining weeds around our flood defence assets. This ensures that they remain in good condition and are ready to react even on the driest of days

During dry weather, we do still receive a good number of reports from the general public; this is due to most out walking along the watercourses taking full advantage of the weather.

If you spot anything in your local lakes and rivers that shouldn’t be there, don’t forget you can report it to us on our 24 hour incident hotline 0800 80 70 60

 

 

Taking the next step in flood risk management for Rochdale

In our last update in March, we let you know that initial preparation work for the proposed flood scheme in Rochdale and Littleborough had started, with tree and vegetation clearance around Todmorden Road in Littleborough – which was essential for the construction of the future flood defences. We also mentioned how we’d used the cleared trees for natural flood management in the River Roch catchment and also that there will be some re-planting in the future.

 

Read more: New Roch Valley project awarded funding to protect against floodingPublished: 03 April 2021

 

Those of you living or travelling through the Todmorden Road area will have noticed that those works have progressed well over the past two months, with the current phase of work continuing at a good pace. The current traffic restrictions will be in place until early September 2021 and this is necessary to allow space for the huge 130tonne crawler crane which is being used to construct the new access ramp into the Gale site.

 

 

Works in Littleborough are expected to continue until late 2023 including the construction of a Flood Storage Area at Gale at Todmorden Road (subject to planning permission), along with a number of raised walls and removal of localised constrictions. There will also be a phase of work improving the passage of water under Riverstone Bridge, expected to begin in spring 2022, which we will be keen to discuss further with residents in the local area later this year.  

Once works have been completed in Littleborough for Phase 1, the project will begin construction in Rochdale for Phase 2, with the overall project currently estimated to be complete by the end of 2025.

Please note the project team’s e-mail address should you have any queries regarding the works:

• RochdaleAndLittleborough.FAS@environment-agency.gov.uk

We are also providing fortnightly updates on the enabling works along Todmorden Road at:

• thefloodhub.co.uk/rochdale-and-littleborough

 

 

 

Boosting our fisheries

Did you know that every penny the Environment Agency receives in fishing licence income is reinvested to protect both the sport of angling and England’s waterways? This year, our Fisheries Improvement Programme (FIP) has invested £1.3 million in more than 170 projects across England to benefit anglers, deliver improvements to vital habitats, increase fish stocks and improve accessibility to ensure the sport is as inclusive as possible.

The programme is also a great demonstration of partnership work, with many of the projects completed or funding matched with the support of landowners, local businesses and fisheries clubs – it’s a real team effort!

In Rochdale, £8,000 has been used to support Rochdale and District Angling Society in the renovation of a disused lodge.

The Tom Meyrick lodge in Castleton was heavily overgrown and required extensive desilting and bank renovation. Specific emphasis was also placed on improved access for elderly and less-abled anglers, by improving the car park, paths and pegs.

The more people who go fishing, the more we can invest and looking forward; we want to hear from more clubs and fisheries about the work and projects they would like to see undertaken.

 

 

If you do decide to give fishing a go, before you head out to the banks remember that the coarse fish close season is in force. This means it’s illegal to fish for coarse fish in rivers until 15th June inclusive. However, there are plenty of still waters or canal coarse fisheries where you can fish.

Don’t forget, you must have a valid fishing rod licence. Buy a licence here.

Beware of rogue rubbish removers

With lockdown restrictions easing and people taking the opportunity for a spring clean, we thought it would be timely to talk about waste or more specifically, waste carriers.

Waste carriers such skip hire, van waste removal and scrap dealers, like other licensed trades, are required to register and operate in line with a set of rules that protect the environment and their customers. These rules include disposing of waste in the right place, storing it safely and keeping accurate records of transfer and disposal.

If these traders don’t have a waste carriers’ licence, there is no guarantee rubbish will go to an authorised site. Instead, it could end up dumped, causing environmental damage. And the person who hired the unregistered trader could face a criminal charge.

Remember to always check whether your collector has a waste carriers’ license from the Environment Agency: ask where the rubbish will end up, don’t pay cash and insist on a receipt, then record the details of the vehicle used to take the rubbish away.

Before hiring someone to remove waste, you can also check their credentials online.

If people suspect criminal activity, they should report it on our hotline 0800 807060 or anonymously through CrimeStoppers on 0800 555111 and give as much detail as possible. Let’s work together to stamp out waste crime and protect on our beautiful countryside.

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Stay in touch

You can stay up-to-date with the latest news and information from the Environment Agency on Twitter and Instagram at @EnvAgencyNW. 

We look forward to sharing more of our stories and successes with you in June.