1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Bradford
Region
Europe
Native title of the NBS intervention
Bradford Beck project
Short description of the intervention
The Bradford Beck project is a pilot project looking at new ways of managing and improving rivers. The Bradford Beck is a small river system of around 11km that flows through the City of Bradford. The beck used to be known as the filthiest river in England. In this project, activities are aimed at bringing the becks back to life and full health, for long term restoration of the Beck. It will provide a new focus of water-based socio-economic regeneration in Bradford (reference 1). The project established that a large proportion of the Bradford Beck catchment could be monitored with observations at just 12 strategic points along the course of the Beck, so observations would be made at all 12 points on different days of the week and at different times of the day (ref 6). A record of the status of the Beck at each point would be taken. This would include the level of the water, the colour of the water, smell, turbidity and a photograph of each site (ref 6).
Address

United Kingdom

Area boundary
POINT (-1.768911 53.822699)
POINT (-1.767694 53.822891)
POINT (-1.768344 53.824464)
POINT (-1.770222 53.824197)
NBS area image
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Please specify “other type of area” before implementation of the NBS
River basin (ref 1)
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
2012
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2013
End date of the intervention
ongoing
Present stage of the intervention
Goals of the intervention
This plan is for long term restoration of the Beck that will provide a new focus of water-based socio-economic regeneration in Bradford; there are 6 visions: (ref 1)
1. Clean becks - Maintain existing wetlands in Pitty Beck and Chellow Dene and Install real-time, on-line monitoring of water quality
2. visible becks - Rivers that are lost are just drains that cannot be enjoyed or be assets to the city. They have no ecological value, have higher flood risks, and disconnect people from their environment and the consequence of their actions.
3. Accessible becks - Make beck corridors accessible to wildlife and ecologically connected
4. Thriving ecosystems - vision of clean vibrant river corridors where wildlife thrives. Renaturalise the becks and their flood plains wherever possible. Control significant invasive plants and animals
5. Care and conservation of freshwater resources (becks) - Make the watercourses visible and accessible, and engage c
6. A water-wise city
7. Public awareness and improve Bradford’s most hidden and neglected becks, Bradford Beck, and its tributaries (ref 7)
8. In the second phase, the main aim is to reversing 200 years of mistreatment of the Beck and making it an attractive and ecologically interesting feature of Bradford (ref 8).
9. Continuous monitoring of water quality of Beck in multiple locations and Engineering survey of culverts to control the pollution level of the drive (ref 6).
Quantitative targets
1. Development of 12 strategic points along the course of the Beck, so observations would be made at all points on different days of the week and at different times of day (ref 6).
Monitoring indicators defined
Unknown
Implementation activities
1. Measures in the report include setting up nature trails, foot and cycle paths and running educational activities (ref 2)
2. The sections of the river which have to remain underground could be marked by paving, panels or with glass roofs, to help people be aware of Bradford Beck as an integral part of the city (ref 2)
3. established a Friends of Bradford Beck group (ref 2)
4. Continuous monitoring of water quality of Beck in multiple locations (ref 6)
5. Engineering survey of culverts (ref 6)
6. Survey of sewer system: mapping, location, correct operation of CSOs (ref 6)

Establishment of nature and footpath trails (ref 2)
Creation of pollution-free river bank (ref 6)
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Blue infrastructure
Rivers/streams/canals/estuaries
In-land wetlands, peatlands, swamps, and moors
Grey infrastructure featuring greens
Riverbank/Lakeside greens
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Provisioning services
Water (surface and ground water for drinking and non-drinking purposes)
Regulating services
Flood regulation
Habitat and supporting services
Habitats for species
Cultural services
Aesthetic appreciation
Intellectual interactions (scientific and / or educational)
Scale
Spatial scale
Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Beneficiaries
Governance
Non-government actors
Non-governmental organisation (NGO) / Civil society / Churches
Researchers, university
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
Led by the Aire Rivers Trust, with the support of the University of Sheffield. the project has brought together local people and key organisations, including the Environment Agency, Yorkshire Water, Bradford Council and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. (ref 2)
Defra (a national environmental agency) initiated pilot projects using the “Catchment Based Approach” to the coordinated management of land and water. The Bradford Beck project is one of the 15 of these pilots (ref 2)
FoBB’s project coincided with a project by EA, whereby the water quality of Bradford Beck was being monitored in real-time, 24 hours a day (ref 6)
Key actors - initiating organization
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
National government
Regional government
Local government/municipality
Non-government organisation/civil society
Citizens or community group
Researchers/university
Private foundation/trust
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy
Yes
Please specify the "Regional Directive/Strategy"
To fulfill requirements of the EU Flood Directive (reference 4)
NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan
Yes
Please specify the national regulations/strategy/plan
Flood and Water Management Act 2010 (reference 4)
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
Yes
Please specify the "local regulation/strategy/plan"
Bradford's local flood and water management strategy (reference 4)
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Mandatory (based on policy)
Intervention is mandatory
Enablers
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
The District 2020 Vision and Community Strategy (reference 1)
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
If there is a relevant strategy or plan, please specify the theme / type of the plan.
Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
Defra initiated pilot projects using the “Catchment Based Approach” to the coordinated management of land and water. (reference 6)
Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Co-finance for NBS
Unknown
Co-financing governance arrangements
Unknown
Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?
Financing
Total cost
What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?
Unknown
What are the total amount of expected annual maintenance costs?
Unknown
What is the expected annual maintenance costs of the NBS or GI elements?
Unknown
Please specify cost savings
Unknown
Please specify total cost (EUR)
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Please specify other Business model
Cleaning up the river and preserving bio-diversity
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Type of innovation
Please specify technological innovation
regular monitoring of water quality (REFERENCE2)
Making people be aware of Bradford Beck as an integral part of the city (ref 2)
Installation of 15 stone plaques marking the course of the culverted Bradford Beck as it passes under the city centre (ref 3)
Novelty level of the innovation
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
Unknown
Replicability/Transferability
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Impacts, benefits
Description of environmental benefits
The expected impacts of the project include: Control significant invasive plants and animals and water conservation (ref 1);
Monitoring of pollution sources and curb the source pollution (ref 9);
Creation of pollution-free river bank (ref 6).

In April 2019, the Environment Agency re-opened an investigation into a company that had allowed pollution into the beck in August 2018. Whilst the company had already been prosecuted and remedial action is taken, The Friends of Bradford's Becks asked for another investigation to be carried out, as, in their opinion, the punitive measures taken against the company did not go far enough.
Economic impacts
Description of economic benefits
Unknown
Description of social and cultural benefits
Friends of Bradford’s Becks (FoBB) was one of the first local groups created to support the project. This extremely active group works to improve Bradford’s most neglected becks, and its tributaries. They are extremely proud of reviving it and bringing it to prominence through a series of engaging and creative actions (ref 7).
Type of reported impacts
Indicators
Regarding the Environment Agency investigation, the expert checks the pollution level in the water, chemical levels in the water, presence of good and bad bacteria in the water (ref 10).
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?
No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project
COVID-19 pandemic
No information as of July 2020
Methods of impact monitoring
Evidence for use of assessment
Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Impact assessment mechanism
Name of any specific impact assessment tools
unknown
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
No evidence in public records
Citizen involvement
Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
Unknown
References
Documents relevant to the intervention
Attachment Size
Bradford beck: A PLAN FOR THE 21ST CENTURY (3.34 MB) 3.34 MB
List of references
1. Bradford beck. nd. accessed: https://bradford-beck.org/six-visions/ [Accessed 25 July 2020]
2. Sheffield University. nd. Bradford beck. accessed: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/news/nr/bradford-beck-sheffield-university-river-1.257553 [Accessed 25 July 2020]
3. Restore Rivers (Wiki Index). nd. Case study: Marking Bradford Beck. accessed: https://restorerivers.eu/wiki/index.php?title=Case_study%3AMarking_Bradford_Beck [Accessed 25 July 2020]
4. Flood Resilient City. nd. The development of Bradford’s local flood and water management strategy. accessed: https://sites.google.com/a/sheffield.ac.uk/jrbinterreg/home/frc-cities/bradford/f-wm-strategy/development-and-implementation [Accessed 25 July 2020]
5. Flood Resilient City. nd. Bradford's local flood and water management strategy. Accessed; http://www.floodresiliencity.eu/frc-output/125/t/1-bradfords-local-flood-and-water-management-strategy [Accessed 25 July 2020]
6. bradford-beck.org. 2020. Urban Pollution Hunter. [online] Available at: <https://bradford-beck.org/urban-pollution-hunter/> [Accessed 25 July 2020].
7. Aire Rivers Trust. 2020. Friends Of Bradford Beck ~ Aire Rivers Trust. [online] Available at: <https://aireriverstrust.org.uk/projects/friends-of-bradford-beck/> [Accessed 25 July 2020].
8. Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 2018. New Project Will Bring More Fish Into Bradford Beck. [online] Available at: <https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/17258711.new-project-will-bring-more-fish-into-bradford-beck/> [Accessed 25 July 2020].
9. Bradfordbeckdotorg.files.wordpress.com. 2017. [online] Available at: <https://bradfordbeckdotorg.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/bradford-investigation-proposal-lowres.pdf> [Accessed 25 July 2020].
10. En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Bradford Beck. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradford_Beck> [Accessed 25 July 2020].
Comments and notes
Comments
4. Funding - Directly financed by EU funds but no mention of local authority budget. no was selected for the section- available subsidies as there were no subsidies given "to the city"
Public Images
Image
Examples	of sanitary litter in vegetation	along the	Bradford	Beck