1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Wakefield
Region
Europe
Native title of the NBS intervention
Owler Beck Restoration
Short description of the intervention
The project aimed to improve the Owler Beck riverbody catchment in Wakefield. Data collected by the Environment Agency revealed that the Owler Beck catchment is struggling to achieve the 'good ecological status' needed in order to meet the European Water Framework Directive. This is likely due to years of alterations that have removed the diversity of the environments and left the watercourse silty. The project aimed to address these issues by working on the priority sites along the river. A multi-phased scheme had been designed to relieve these pressures and deliver benefits for both people and wildlife across the catchment. (Ref. 1) The project is completed as of 2019 with 200m of river reach length covered in the catchment area. (Ref 7)
Address

Owler Beck
Wakefield
United Kingdom

Location
The NBS is a city-wide initiative, the GIS point marks the centre of the city
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Other
Please specify “other type of area” before implementation of the NBS
Owler Beck riverbody catchment (Ref 1)
Website of the intervention
http://www.ywt.org.uk/news/2017/06/26/work-begins-owler-beck
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
2016
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2017
End date of the intervention
2019
Present stage of the intervention
Completed
Please specify "other" stage of the intervention
The project started in November 2016 and continues until April 2018. (Ref. 2)
The project is a multi-phased scheme; the work itself began in May 2017. (Ref. 1)
Goals of the intervention
The overall aim is to improve the Owler Beck river body catchment in Wakefield. The project aims to benefit "both people and wildlife across the catchment". (Ref. 1)
Years of alterations that have removed the diversity of the environments and left the watercourse silty. The project aimed to address these issues by working on the priority sites along the river. (Ref 1)
Quantitative targets
To meet 'good ecological status' in accordance with Environment Agency and the European Water Framework Directive. (Ref. 1)
River reach length covered - 2 km in 2019 (Ref 7, 8)
Monitoring indicators defined
Number of targets meeting 'good ecological status' in accordance with Environment Agency and the European Water Framework Directive. (Ref. 1)
km of river in 2019 (Ref 7, 8)
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Water management (SDG 6)
Improvements to water quality
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Habitat and biodiversity restoration
Habitat and biodiversity conservation
Environmental quality
Waste management
Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
Inclusive governance
Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What types of conservation goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?
Species-focused
Ecosystem-focused
Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?
Protect and enhance urban habitats
Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
Preserve and strengthen habitat connectivity
Reduce negative impacts and avoid the alteration/damage of ecosystem
Protect species
Undertake specific measures to protect species
Undertake specific measures to protect native species
Undertake specific measures to protect valued species
Means for conservation governance
Raise public awareness
What types of restoration goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?
Species-focused
Ecosystem-focused
What activities are implemented to realize the restoration goals and targets?
Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
Restore native species
Restore valued species
Clear and control invasive alien species
Restore ecological connectivity
Implementation activities
"The projects will address issues by working on the priority sites along the river. Sites will be improved by adding diversity to the water courses, removing invasive species and reintroducing native plants. This will create new habitats for numerous species, including water voles." (Ref. 1)
“A key part of these projects will involve engaging with local community groups, with local volunteers being offered training in river monitoring and practical conservation. It is hoped the project will raise awareness of issues facing the river and inspire local communities to take action, developing a sense of ownership and long term sustainability measures.” (Ref. 1)
Alec Boyd, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Project Assistant said: “Many animals including fish and aquatic insects have difficultly surviving in water that is too silty as they lay their eggs on clean gravels. By stabilising the banks with new plants we can help reduce the amount of pollution reaching the water which will help these aquatic creatures survive.” (Ref 8)
Type of NBS project
Ecological restoration of ecosystems
Monitoring and maintenance of habitats and/or biodiversity
Management and improved protection of rivers and other blue areas
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Grey infrastructure featuring greens
Riverbank/Lakeside greens
Blue infrastructure
Rivers/streams/canals/estuaries
Vegetation Type
Trees
Please specify how many trees were planted
300 native trees (Ref 8)
Amenities offered by the NBS
Unknown
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Provisioning services
Water (surface and ground water for drinking and non-drinking purposes)
Regulating services
Water purification / filtration
Habitat and supporting services
Habitats for species
Maintenance of genetic diversity
Cultural services
Intellectual interactions (scientific and / or educational)
Scale
Spatial scale
Meso-scale: Regional, metropolitan and urban level
Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
National-level government
Local government/Municipality
Citizens or community groups
Other
Please specify "other primary beneficiary"
fish and aquatic insects (Ref 8)
Governance
Governance arrangements
Led by non-government actors
Non-government actors
Non-governmental organisation (NGO) / Civil society / Churches
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
The project is run by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. (Ref. 1-3) ; Funding from e.g. The Veolia Environmental Trust. (Ref. 1)
Key actors - initiating organization
Private sector/corporate actor/company
Land owners
Public space owned by the city
Other
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Local government/municipality
Private foundation/trust
Citizens or community group
Land owners
Public space owned by the city
Other
Please specify other land owner
Apart from the Wakefield city council owned land the area is across cross the Owler Beck River Catchment (Ref 8) area so land owners unknown.
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Dissemination of information and education
Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
Co-management/Joint management
Please specify other landowner
Apart from the Wakefield city council owned land the area is across cross the Owler Beck River Catchment (Ref 8) area so land owners unknown.
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy
Yes
Please specify the "Regional Directive/Strategy"
The European Water Framework Directive. (Ref. 1)
NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan
Yes
Please specify the national regulations/strategy/plan
"Environment Agency revealed that the Owler Beck catchment is struggling to achieve the 'good ecological status' needed in order to meet the European Water Framework Directive." (Ref. 1)
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
Unknown
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Mandatory (based on policy)
Intervention is mandatory
Environmental regulation
Enablers
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
Wakefield Council's 'green infrastructure plan' (which includes the River Calder and its becks, along with the water vole which the project aims to create habitats for). (Ref. 1, 4)

And the local Biodiversity Action Plan (in connection to the water vole). (Ref. 5)
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.
City specific green space strategy or plan
Biodiversity strategy or plan
Water regulation strategy
Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
Wakefield District Local Group (aiming to help promote the RSPB in the local community and raise money to help our local nature reserves). (Ref. 2)
Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
Funding from e.g. The Veolia Environmental Trust. (Ref. 1)
Co-finance for NBS
Yes
Co-financing governance arrangements
Yes
Co-governance arrangement
Other
Please specify other co-financing type
“Yorkshire Wildlife Trust received £57 979 (around 60 000 EUR) from The Veolia Environmental Trust through the Landfill Community Fund (LCF).” The project is also supported by the Groundwork ‘Tesco Bags of Help’ grants scheme.” (Ref. 1, 3)
Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
€50,000 - €100,000
What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?
60000 EUR (Ref 1,3)
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)
“Yorkshire Wildlife Trust received £57 979 (around 60 000 EUR) from The Veolia Environmental Trust through the Landfill Community Fund (LCF).” The project is also supported by the Groundwork ‘Tesco Bags of Help’ grants scheme.” (Ref. 1, 3)
Source(s) of funding
Private Foundation/Trust
Other
Please specify other source of funding
Grants from the Groundwork ‘Tesco Bags of Help’ scheme [where the money raised from the 5p bag charge is being used to fund local projects]. (Ref. 1)
“The Landfill Communities Fund (LCF) [Yorkshire Wildlife Trust received the funding from The Veolia Environmental Trust through the Landfill Community Fund, LCF] is an innovative tax credit scheme enabling operators of landfill sites in England, Northern Ireland and Wales to contribute money to organisations enrolled with ENTRUST as Environmental Bodies (EBs).” (Ref. 7)
Type of fund(s) used
Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Tax exemption
Other
Please specify other type of fund used
Grants from the Groundwork ‘Tesco Bags of Help’ scheme [where the money raised from the 5p bag charge is being used to fund local projects]. (Ref. 1)
“The Landfill Communities Fund (LCF) [Yorkshire Wildlife Trust received the funding from The Veolia Environmental Trust through the Landfill Community Fund, LCF] is an innovative tax credit scheme enabling operators of landfill sites in England, Northern Ireland and Wales to contribute money to organisations enrolled with ENTRUST as Environmental Bodies (EBs).” (Ref. 7)
Non-financial contribution
Yes
Type of non-financial contribution
Provision of labour
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Business models
Urban offsetting model (biodiversity or water)
Please specify other environmental impact
removed silt from the riverbed.
(Ref 8)
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Public actor (e.g. municipality)
Private non-for-profit actor (e.g. NGO, foundation)
Citizens / local communities
Type of innovation
Social
Governance innovation
Cultural innovation
Please specify social innovation
“The project will involve engaging with local community groups, with local volunteers being offered training in river monitoring and practical conservation.” (Ref. 1) gov: raise awareness of issues facing the river and inspire local communities to take action, developing a sense of ownership and long term sustainability measures.” (Ref. 1)
Novelty level of the innovation
The innovation is completely new without connections to previous initiative(s)
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
The project is in response to "data collected by the Environment Agency revealed that the Owler Beck catchment is struggling to achieve the 'good ecological status' needed in order to meet the European Water Framework Directive". (Ref. 1)
Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Water management and blue areas
Improved water quality
Enhanced protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems
Green space and habitat
Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
Increased conversion of degraded land or soil
Reduced biodiversity loss
Increased number of species present
Increased protection of threatened species
Improved prevention or control of invasive alien species
Increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales
Other
Description of environmental benefits
- eroding river banks have been stabilised by planting large rolls of native plants increasing the diversity of the sites
- small reed beds planted to stabilise and filter the flow
- the invasive and damaging plant Himalayan balsam has been cleared, along with several hundred square metres of snowberry
- are was then replanted with over 300 native trees
- woody debris structures have been introduced into another section of the beck. These structures provide numerous benefits including creating habitat for breeding fish and insects by adding diversity to the flow and removing silt from the riverbed.
(Ref 8)
Economic impacts
Unknown
Please specify other socio-cultural impact
training: “The project will involve engaging with local community groups, with local volunteers being offered training in river monitoring and practical conservation.” (Ref. 1)
Description of economic benefits
Unknown
Social and cultural impacts
Cultural heritage and sense of place
Improvement in people’s connection to nature
Increased appreciation for natural spaces
Education
Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
Other
Please specify other environmental justice issue
environmental improvement to habitats: - eroding river banks have been stabilised by planting large rolls of native plants increasing the diversity of the sites
- small reed beds planted to stabilise and filter the flow
- the invasive and damaging plant Himalayan balsam has been cleared, along with several hundred square metres of snowberry
- are was then replanted with over 300 native trees
- woody debris structures have been introduced into another section of the beck. These structures provide numerous benefits including creating habitat for breeding fish and insects by adding diversity to the flow and removing silt from the riverbed.
(Ref 8)
Description of social and cultural benefits
In December 2018, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust organised a training session for water quality survey volunteers hosted at the RSPB Old Moor Wetland Centre. The training was delivered by the Angler’s Riverfly Monitoring Initiative (ARMI) trainers and taught citizen science volunteers how to check water quality by identifying and counting various small invertebrates. (Ref 8)
“The project will involve engaging with local community groups, with local volunteers being offered training in river monitoring and practical conservation.” (Ref. 1) gov: raise awareness of issues facing the river and inspire local communities to take action, developing a sense of ownership and long term sustainability measures.” (Ref. 1)
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts
Achieved impacts
Indicators
The project involves river restoration, habitat creation as well as involving locals/volunteers (and offering them training). (Ref. 1)
Environmental, social and economic impacts
Water management (SDG 6)
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
other
Voluntary work opportunities
Environmental justice: The implementation of the NBS project resulted in ...
Other
Please specify other method used to evaluate the impacts of NBS
"Data collected by the Environment Agency revealed that the Owler Beck catchment is struggling to achieve the 'good ecological status' needed in order to meet the European Water Framework Directive." (Ref. 1, 6)
Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?
No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project
COVID-19 pandemic
Unknown as of 30 September 2020
Methods of impact monitoring
Process of recording NBS impacts
No evidence in public records
Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS
Measurements of biophysical aspects of the NBS (e.g. temperature, water flow)
Unknown
Evidence for use of assessment
Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process
Unknown
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
Yes
Link to a web-based monitoring tool
http://environment.data.gov.uk/catchment-planning/WaterBody/GB104027062530
Impact assessment mechanism
Name of any specific impact assessment tools
"Data collected by the Environment Agency revealed that the Owler Beck catchment is struggling to achieve the 'good ecological status' needed in order to meet the European Water Framework Directive." (Ref. 1, 6) The link below (and in previous section) displays e.g. the ecological status of Owler Beck. (Ref. 6)
Link to the output of assessments
http://environment.data.gov.uk/catchment-planning/WaterBody/GB104027062530
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
Yes
Citizen involvement
Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation
Yes
Mode(s) of citizen involvement in evaluation/assessment
Other
Please specify other modes of citizen involvement in evaluation/assessment
The project "will involve engaging with local community groups, with local volunteers being offered training in river monitoring and practical conservation". (Ref. 1)
In December 2018, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust organised a training session for water quality survey volunteers hosted at the RSPB Old Moor Wetland Centre. The training was delivered by the Angler’s Riverfly Monitoring Initiative (ARMI) trainers and taught citizen science volunteers how to check water quality by identifying and counting various small invertebrates. (Ref 8)
Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
Yes
Please specify
The project is in response to the Environment Agency’s data collection. (Ref. 1)
References
Web links relevant to the intervention
Ref. 1
Ref. 2
Ref. 3
Ref. 4
Ref. 5
Ref. 6
Ref. 7
List of references
Ref. 1. Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (2017) Work begins on Owler Beck! News. Information obtained: 20174-07-13. [Website not available in 2020]
Ref. 2. Wakefield District Local Group (2016) News. RSPB local group e-letter. Information obtained: 20174-07-13. Source: https://ww2.rspb.org.uk/groups/wakefield/news/434621/ [Accessed 30 September 2020]
Ref. 3. Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (2016) Vital funding for Owler Beck restoration. News. Information obtained: 20174-07-13. [Website not available in 2020]
Ref. 4. Wakefield Council (2010) Wakefield green infrastructure plan. Source: http://www.wakefield.gov.uk/Documents/planning/planning-policy/information-monitoring/green-infrastrcture-plan-october-2010.pdf [Accessed 30 September 2020]
Ref. 5. Wakefield Council (n.d.) Wakefield local biodiversity action plan. Source:http://www.wakefield.gov.uk/Documents/sports-leisure/parks-countryside/biodiversity-action-plan.pdf [Accessed 30 September 2020]
Ref. 6. Environment Agency (2017) Owler Beck from Source to River Calder. Catchment Data Explorer. Source: http://environment.data.gov.uk/catchment-planning/WaterBody/GB104027062530 [Accessed 30 September 2020]
Ref. 7. The River Restoration Center (2019) Owler Beck. Source: https://www.therrc.co.uk/projects/owler-beck [Accessed 30 September 2020]
Ref. 8. The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (2018). Progress on the Owler Beck restoration project. Source: https://www.therrc.co.uk/projects/owler-beck [Accessed 30 September 2020]
Comments and notes
Additional insights
2020 comments:
Regarding the web-based link [for the Catchment Data Explorer] provided in Section 6/Evidence for use of assessment: "The government’s catchment based approach was announced on World Water Day, 22 March 2011. It is seen as the tool by which Integrated Catchment Management will be delivered. One of the fundamental ideas is to engage stakeholders via a more local catchment based approach." Source: http://www.euwfd.com/html/catchment-based-approach.html [Information obtained: 2017-07-28].
Pictures of the NBS
/sites/default/files/nbs/images/owler_beck_water_vole_elliott_neep_ref_1.jpg
Public Images
Water Vole Owler Beck restoration Elliott Neep Ref. 1
Water Vole Owler Beck restoration Elliott Neep Ref. 1