Silsden resident, Linda Arter, has planted over 2,000 native trees on her two-acre field this year, benefiting the environment and helping to improve natural flood defences within the Aire catchment.  

Linda, whose land is between the River Aire and Holden Beck, said: “I was watching a BBC Countryfile feature about tree planting and was inspired by their message about the environmental impact if we all planted just one tree each.

"I got in touch with the White Rose Forest team via Bradford Council and they organised a site visit and talked me through the options on my land that had previously been used for occasional grazing by a local farmer.”

“The tree planting itself was a wonderful experience and will have a much greater positive impact on the environment than anything else we could do as a family. I would encourage everyone with land to consider planting trees. I have learnt so much through the process and we now have plans for more rewilding in the same location.”

The White Rose Forest team supported Linda through the planning and regulatory process and identified the best funding options for her project. The design and planting was then managed by Ian Butterfield from YORgreen Community Interest Company, a local White Rose Forest partner, who organised a group of volunteers to plant the 2 acre field in Feb / March this year.

The White Rose Forest is the community forest for North and West Yorkshire and is supported by a partnership of woodland creation experts from local authorities, charities, community groups and businesses across the region. Free and impartial planning, funding and planting support is available to any landowner or land manager who is considering planting trees on land of any size.

Guy Thompson, White Rose Forest Programme Director, said: “As a community forest, our local communities are at the heart of everything we do. Every tree planted in the White Rose Forest will benefit communities across North and West Yorkshire.

"There has been disastrous flooding within the River Aire valley over the last few years. Over time the new woodland on Linda’s land will not only increase biodiversity but will also help to slow the flow of water run-off into the neighbouring beck and prevent future damaging flooding events in communities as far as Leeds City Centre."

Linda’s woodland was funded by the White Rose Forest via the England’s Community Forests Trees for Climate programme, part of the Government’s Nature for Climate fund. The Government aims to at least treble tree planting rates in England by the end of this Parliament as part of plans to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

Children from 19 primary schools across the Bradford district have been learning about energy efficiency, in the context of climate change as part of the Energy Heroes programme.

Hundreds of students have taken part in the programme which uses maths to explore the issues of energy, climate change and protecting the world’s resources. The innovative teaching and learning resource for primary schools is designed to improve numeracy and science skills.

Bradford Council’s Education Partnerships Team linked up with Energy Heroes to deliver the project, funded by Northern Power Grid.

Using their numeracy skills to study data, pupils are tasked with working out the cost of energy, at school and at home, and look at how they could use less energy, cut carbon emissions and so save money on energy bills as well as help save the environment.

Bookings are now being taken for the autumn term. See the website energy-heroes.org.uk/ or email hello@energyheroes.org.uk for more details.

Trial traffic reduction and calming measures are being rolled out in Saltaire this week.

The Saltaire Active Travel Neighbourhood (ATN) aims to make the village a more pleasant and safer area for walking and cycling by limiting traffic passing through.

After a consultation last summer, a number of measures are being installed for a six month trial period. These will include planters or bollards being placed at the end of some roads preventing access, vehicular deterrant paving in some locations (which prevents cars, but not emergency or service vehicles) getting through and school streets – roads outside schools having traffic restrictions at school drop-off and pick-up times.

The scheme will be monitored throughout the six-month period and people who live, work or travel to the area are encouraged to give feedback. At the end of the period, all feedback and monitoring surveys will be analysed and a decision taken on whether to make the ATN permanent, adjust it or remove it.

For more information on the ATN, see the dedicated webpage which gives details of the roads affected and a map.

With the warmer weather now upon us,  more people are getting on their bikes.

Cycling is both a great form of exercise and a cleaner mode of travel - and secure bike lockers are now available.

We have worked with BikeAway to install 40 bike lockers across four locations: at John Street, Broadway, Glydegate Square and Rawson Place.

The space saving vertical design of the locker is roomy enough to accommodate most bikes without the need to remove the front wheel.  They offer a high level of security and have been awarded the Sold Secure Diamond Standard which is the highest level set for secure cycle storage.

The lockers can be rented for a year for £50 plus a £20 refundable key deposit. Rental is managed by BikeAway who supply the lockers. 

The lockers are ideal for anyone living or working in the city centre.

UK businesses and organisations are being invited to apply for a share of £2m to fund ‘people and planet centred’ design projects.

The funding from Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, is to help businesses develop new ideas aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Projects can be new or improved produces, services, places or business models.

The project’s total costs must be between £40,000 and £80,000 and aim to start by 1 March 2023 and end by 31 August 2023. The bidding process closes at 11am on Wednesday 31 August 2022.