Councillors praise £14m Yorkshire Water wetland project nearing completion

Councillors from Kirklees Council and Denby Dale Parish Council recently visited Yorkshire Water’s Clayton West wastewater treatment site in West Yorkshire to see progress on a £14m nature-based wetland solution.  

The project, being carried out by Mott McDonald Bentley, has seen the installation of a 4.3-hectare wetland containing 13 interconnected ponds. It will provide an additional low-carbon and natural layer of treatment to wastewater before returning it to the river Dearne, significantly improving the quality of the water in the river, as well as improving biodiversity and benefiting local wildlife. 

Over 300,000 plants will treat the wastewater as it travels through the wetland, taking in and breaking down pollutants. The wastewater being treated will not include solid waste. 

Cllr Tim Bamford (Conservative) and Cllr Hannah McKerchar (Labour) visited the wetland alongside six councillors from Denby Dale Parish Council, and representatives from local organisations such as the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, Don Catchment Rivers Trust and Friends of the River Dearne. 

During the visit, Cllr Tim Bamford of Kirklees Council said: “The benefits I can see of this scheme are that the locals have a lovely walk now down by the side of the river, next to the wetland – and there will be more nature coming into the area because the insect population will come and that will attract birds and more wildlife. I think Yorkshire Water should create more schemes like this.” 

Cllr Hannah McKerchar, Kirklees Council, added: “It’s fantastic to see a project on this scale in our area, and the way environmental concerns have been considered in so many aspects of the design. It should support a significant increase in biodiversity and hopefully also benefit the Dearne; I know local volunteers who monitor the river downstream are excited to see the impact of the wetland.” 

Once complete, the wetland will improve the river quality of 4.1km of the river Dearne downstream of the works. 

The project should be complete in late summer 2025. 

Mike Jones, South Projects Manager at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, said, “Schemes like this are really inspirational for other parts of the water sector – you can improve the water quality whilst also providing something for nature. This is an impressive start, and we look forward to seeing how the project develops, continuing to play a part in collaboration; further improving the outcomes for nature and water management in a changing climate.” 

Ben Gouldsborough, project manager at Yorkshire Water, said: “I live locally, and it’s been a joy to drive down and see the project change over the duration of the scheme from a field to a wetland filled with plants. I’m personally excited to see it grow, have the plants bloom, and ultimately, see the river Dearne benefit.” 

A second scheme is also underway at Clayton West treatment works – a £4.9m project which will reduce the amount of phosphorous in the wastewater returned to the river post-treatment. 

When complete, the project will improve the water quality of over 3.7km of the watercourse downstream of the treatment works. This contributes to a total of approximately 56 km of river improved across the River Dearne’s wider catchment through other phosphorous reduction schemes.