Campaigners fighting to restore Kirkstall Goit to its former glory are encouraging local residents to complete a questionnaire to have their say on the issue.
Community organisations, along with Kirkstall’s councillors, are hoping to submit a funding bid to restore partial restoration of flow to the historic Kirkstall Goit, an artificial channel by the side of Kirkstall Abbey Park and the River Aire.
The goit was established more than 200 years ago so water could be used to power nearby mills. But the flow of water towards the goit was cut off around 20 years ago when the sluice gates – which control the amount of water being let into the goit from the River Aire – were closed. There are concerns about the loss of wildlife and the goit becoming a ‘brown, historic silty ditch‘.
Follow two recent public meetings a coalition of local groups, including Kirkstall Village Action Group, Kirkstall Valley Development Trust and Friends of Kirkstall Abbey Park are bidding for funds adapt a new control structure to allow more water to safely flow through. They say restoring flow is the first step to re-creating the conditions for fish, insects and the birds that used to thrive there.
A condition of the funding bid is to gather the community’s views on the issue. Have your say here.
A spokesperson said: “The goit’s decline has led to a rapid parallel decline in the wildlife and nature dependent on the goit.”
If you would like to get involved in the or attend any further meetings contact Kirkstall councillor Fiona Venner on fiona.venner@leeds.gov.uk.
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