Sowing the 7,000,000 seeds of Salterhebble's new green wall

25 October 2018

Seeding of a new living green wall at Salterhebble Hill, took place this week.

Seven million seeds have been sprayed on the 6,000 bags of soil and nutrients recently installed as part of an ambitious scheme by Calderdale Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority to tackle congestion along the A629. The seeds should germinate in just a few days and will soon start to have a visible impact.

Absorbing CO₂ & NO₂

Seven hundred shrubs including ivies, honeysuckles, dog roses, and hawthorns 500 wild flower plugs and 20 trees, including elms, limes maples, rowans and cherry trees, are also being planted. As they grow, they will create a vertical garden. The new living wall will improve local air quality by absorbing carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide as well as delivering biodiversity benefits for the area and enhance the overall surroundings.

Divided into five phases, the A629 scheme will help reduce congestion, improve journey times, boost public transport use and improve cycling and walking conditions along the key route between the towns of Halifax, in Calderdale, and Huddersfield, in Kirklees. As well as the highway widening and living wall, the scheme's Salterhebble to Shaw Hill section includes new traffic light technology, junction remodelling and improved active travel facilities that will mean better and safer journeys for public transport users, pedestrians and cyclists.

New public areas

In Calderdale, the scheme will also deliver improvements in Halifax town centre, including bus and rail interchange opportunities, an improved bus station, new bus routing and new public areas.

The scheme is being supported by £120 million investment from the Combined Authority's £1 billion West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund. The West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund has been part-funded through the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Growth Deal, a £1 billion package of Government funding to drive growth and job creation across the Leeds City Region. The aim is to create around 20,000 new jobs and add £2.4 billion a year to the economy by the mid-2030s.

Inclusive growth

Cllr Eric Firth, Deputy Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee said: "Through our £1 billion West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund, the Combined Authority has committed £150 million of investment into schemes to support inclusive economic growth and the creation of new jobs such as this, across West Yorkshire and the Leeds City Region.

"Spraying the new living wall here at Salterhebble with seven million seeds and planting over 1,200 shrubs, wildflowers and trees is the final stage in creating this new vertical garden that will absorb carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide along this stretch of the route."

Final milestone

Cllr Tim Swift, Calderdale Councils Leader and Combined Authority member said: "The living wall is one of the final milestones in the Salterhebble to Shaw Hill phase of the ambitious A629 scheme. This first phase paves the way for further improvements in the next major part of the scheme, the Calder and Hebble junction. Combined, the upgrades will bring significant reductions to journey times and massive opportunities for business growth in Calderdale."

For more information about the transformation of Calderdale, people should head to the Calderdale Next Chapter website and keep up to date by signing up for the Next Chapter newsletter.

Find out more schemes being supported by West Yorkshire Combined Authority