Colden Clough
Posted by Andrew Hall
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Good news for once! Calderdale Council are proposing to turn virtually the whole of the Colden Valley woodland, from Eaves up to Jack Bridge into a Local Nature Reserve.
This programme will entail conservation, restoration (of walls, for example), control of invasive plants (such as Himalayan Balsam and Rhododendrons), maintenance of footpaths, research into the area's industrial achaeology, information and educational material, disabled access, encouraging resposible recreational use of the valley (walking, bird and wildlife watching, horse riding, cycling etc) and much much more.
Signs have gone up in the valley, including a map of the proposed area, and the council are inviting comments and suggestions, to reach them by the end of the month.
The lead officer on this project is Chris Sutcliffe, the Wildspace Officer of the council's Countryside and Forestry Unit.
It's an important move in maintaining, preserving and promoting a very important and relatively unknown woodland area right on the town's doorstep. I hope it gets the support it deserves.