Dewsbury Country Park, once the site of the Lower Spen Valley Landfill, is being transformed into a vibrant greenspace where local communities can walk, cycle and connect with nature.
Led by Kirklees Council and partners, the project is reshaping the land into a mosaic of ecologically-important habitats. New woodlands, hedgerows and grasslands are stitching the landscape back together, while ponds and wetlands are bringing water and wildlife back to the valley. In recent years, three ponds have been extended, two more created and around eight hectares of meadows restored, providing a vital boost for biodiversity and carbon storage.
Access for people is at the heart of the Council’s vision for Dewsbury Country Park. A network of footpaths, including fully accessible routes, ensures that the park can be enjoyed by everyone. In an area facing high levels of deprivation, having a safe, tranquil space to engage with nature makes a real difference to health, wellbeing and quality of life.
And there’s more to come. Kirklees Council has secured support from the Water Restoration Fund, a national scheme that reinvests water company fines into local projects, to restore the river and associated habitats, improving water quality, enhancing the habitat and creating rich corridors of wildlife.
