Comments on: Weir Today, Gone Tomorrow?

By: Richard East

Richard East — Fri, 06 Mar 2015 21:00:25 +0000

I am not sure if anyone is still look at this however I thought best to comment on behalf of Saltaire Angling Association in my capacity as Ticket and Licence Sec.
Saltaire AA would oppose any request to remove this weir as it would have a massively detrimental effect on not only our fishing but the whole ecology of the river. Above the weir, there is already a massive head of trout that thrive and prosper in the mixed flows available. Should the weir be removed the river would be transformed and would mirror that river down steam of the weir which has a very low population of trout and other fish species, with many areas being devoid of fish. While we sympathise with the four household and with Woodbottom Club regarding the very rare flooding events, both are relatively new additions to the banks of the river and both have been in situ less time than the weir. When buying property on the banks of any river, the possibility of flooding should be considered/expected as it is a totally natural event.

By: Steve Bottoms

Steve Bottoms — Sun, 03 Nov 2013 14:44:11 +0000

Kevin Sunderland, Chairman of Aire Rivers Trust, wrote the following to me in an email, and kindly agreed to let me post an edited version here as a comment:

Although you might think that there would be little opposition to weir removal, I don’t think that this would be the case. I think that there’s been a weir there for 700 years so there would be people with a historic interest in it. I think I recall reading that Serlo of Baildon was crushed there by his own water wheel in 1306 (?). The weir isn’t listed but people get very attached to weirs and the canalised waters above them. However, Leeds Council are currently removing a listed weir at Crown Point for flood defence purposes so it can be done.

The main opposition would come from Saltaire Angling Club. You might think that they would be in support of weir removal but this would probably not be the case. Removal of the weir would improve things for trout but the anglers in Saltaire are not interested in trout, they want the barbel and the other coarse fish which like the slower deeper water above weirs. If the weir was removed, it’s highly likely that the barbel would go elsewhere.

The Environment Agency has introduced 20,000 small barbel to the Aire over the last few years. The barbel is a slow growing but potentially large fish. At the moment the only big ones around are those between Baildon Bridge and Hirst Mill. The real big ones in the Aire are immediately above Baildon Bridge.

I think the EA would also be against weir removal. They are always concerned about the consequences of removing weirs and the responsibility involved. They worry that the alteration will affect structures upstream and downstream. The Baildon Bridge Weir might affect Baildon Bridge itself and the walls of the premises downstream. Most of the EA’s flood defence funding is prioritised by the effects of schemes on improving things for domestic premises. As Baildon Bridge Weir removal would only improve things for about four dwellings, it would have very low priority. This is the reason why the Government would not fund the original Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme as the beneficiaries would have been businesses and not houses.

I just thought I’d point out that things like weir removal are never as easy as you might think. Weirs usually disappear when they collapse naturally and nobody is willing to put up the funding up to rebuild them. It could be a long wait.

By: Mr D Bryan

Mr D Bryan — Tue, 29 Oct 2013 20:20:46 +0000

More power to your elbow. I can not offer too much help as I am heavily involve with the Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust. funding may be found if the pitch is a good one to the appropriate funder. Surly the Aire River Trust could help here under the Catchment Based Approach Partnership with EA.