Pitty Beck Wetlands

Enhancing Nature. Reducing Flood Risk. Supporting Our Community.

This project is an NFM project funded by West Yorkshire Combined Authority and is part of the Aire Rivers Trust’s Better Becks programme. It focuses on improving the Pitty Beck Wetlands in Allerton for water quality while reducing the risk of flooding downstream and improving fish migration and habitats.
Civil works accompanied by low intervention nature-based solutions will allow fish passage through the site; improve water quality and instream habitats; increase flood storage and slow the flow of water, helping to protect nearby communities while improving the wetland and terrestrial environments.

Summer 2026 update

Capital works at Pitty Beck Wetlands were completed in June and July 2026 following a period of public consultation, scoping and design. The works focused on improving water quality, enhancing wetland habitat and helping to mitigate flood risk. The improvements were delivered by skilled contractors with support from ART volunteers, working together to reflect local priorities and create lasting benefits for the wetland and surrounding community.

The remaining work includes further tree planting and seeding in autumn 2026. This will be followed by long-term ecological monitoring and habitat management to assess how the wetland responds, support its ongoing development and ensure the improvements continue to deliver benefits over time.

A range of measures have been carried out across the wetland

Pitty Beck flowing through lush green landscape with a partly collapsed redundant weir

Weir removal

The concrete and stone weir at the upstream end of the site will be removed, improving fish passage through the reach.

Hidden under lush green riverbank growth is a sewer outfall

Channel and reed bed modification

At the lower end of the site is a Combined Sewer Outfall (CSO) that sometimes releases overflow water. The current beck will be redirected so it flows around this CSO, creating a new route for the main part of Pitty Beck.
The remaining section of stream will be kept as a backwater and turned into a shallow wetland with reedbeds. Water will no longer flow directly into it but instead be diverted into the new channel. This will create a better habitat for fish, insects, and other wetland wildlife.

Wetland habitat with tall grasses and trees in the background.

Bank lowering and wetland cells

The banks and surrounding floodplain will be lowered across the site to increase flood storage capacity. One of the three existing concrete-based wetland cells will have its concrete lining broken up and removed as they are no longer functioning correctly. The remaining two cells will hold the material which will be buried with excavation spoil and seeded.

Natural river landscape with trees and dry vegetation on Pitty Beck

Scrapes and swales

Small scrapes and swales (shallow, wide, puddle-like dips) will be dug out on the floodplain and along the tops of the banks. These will help hold more water during floods and create better wetland areas for wildlife.

Leaky barriers

At least 3 leaky barriers will be constructed in the channel to hold back water, reduce peak flows, and improve floodplain connectivity.

Pitty Beck meandering through a filed due for tree planting

Tree planting and meadow seeding

Native woodland mix trees will be planted across the site, and a local mild meadow seed mix will be spread across all bare excavated soil and any damaged earth.

This project is made possible thanks to West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s NFM Fund, and the Environment Agency's Water Environment Improvement Fund

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