The footpath along the River Wharfe in Ilkley will be closed between the suspension bridge and the stepping stones on weekdays from Monday 28 October until Friday 29 November 2024.
Throughout the closure, the footpath will reopen between Friday evenings and Monday mornings when work is not taking place, to reduce disruption and allow people to enjoy the riverside walk over the weekends.
The closure will be in place to allow contract partners Ward & Burke to conduct piling as part of the next phase of work to increase storm water capacity at Yorkshire Water’s Ilkley wastewater treatment works, which will reduce overflows into the nearby river Wharfe.
Piling is a construction technique that involves driving columns into the ground to create a sturdy base for a structure.
The storm water storage tanks will increase the capacity of the treatment works, reducing the number and volume of storm overflow discharges to the river Wharfe following periods of prolonged or heavy rainfall. Stored stormwater will be returned to the treatment works for full treatment once the rainfall event has passed and incoming flows have reduced.
Andrew McKinley, project manager at Yorkshire Water, said:
“We’re progressing with the next stage of our £60m investment in Ilkley, which will have a significant impact on the water quality in the Wharfe at the designated bathing water. We understand the popularity of the footpath and are taking steps to minimise the closure as much as possible. We’d like to thank Ilkley residents for their patience and understanding while the footpath is closed to keep everyone safe.”
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