Irk Valley Review 0203

8/3/2019 Irk Valley Review 0203

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/irk-valley-review-0203 1/8

WIRKING REVIEW the challenge is growing

The Irk Valley Project continues to breath life into the landscape

Two thousand and twothree



There are lots of good things going on,

but there is still lots more to do...



Quite literally, the signs are good. Many Irk Valley sites now have highly visible and good

quality signage at their entrances.These have been placed to bring identity, uniformity and

continuity across the Valley.The Irk Valley logo is prominent, and hopefully we will be seeing

many more examples of these as the Project progresses.

Its all part of the long term regeneration of the landscape, giving open spaces an identity and giving local

communities a sense of place and a sense of pride. Some old areas now have new names.Tweedle Hill Tip

is now Tweedle Common. Moston Brook Amenity Landfill site is now Moston Vale. More pleasant

and more welcoming, I think you’ll agree!!

This year has seen more innovative

change and community involvement

across the Valley. Lots of people have

shown more than a passing interest,

and many have been involved in a wide

range of events co-ordinated both

through the Project and the Manchester

Leisure Parks Warden Service.

There are lots of good things going

on, but there is still lots more to do...

Cllr Paul Murphy

Chair Irk Valley Steering Group

Cllr Joanne Green

Deputy Chair Irk Valley Steering Group



What a Difference..

So little seed, such a lot of flowers!!



The Waiting Game

You need a little patience with wildflower seed...The hard work of soil preparation, rotivating,

raking and mowing is over and now it’s a question of waiting... for at least three months!!!

Community Groups from Moston, Blackley and Collyhurst as well as volunteers from Manchester Social

Services, British Trust for Conservation Volunteers and Community Service Volunteers worked with the

Project and Red Rose Forest to achieve a fantastic flush of colour across the Irk Valley in Summer.

Cornfield annuals were used at many site entrances, where on bigger sites perennial species were sowed.

Hard Work Rewarded

What a Difference..

So little seed, such a lot of flowers!!

A fantastic achievement all round.

The work of the Blackley Initiatives

Group tenants and residents

association, Crosslee tenants and

residents association and Friends

of Blackley Forest played a part in

helping Blackley win the National

Britain in Bloom Urban Community

Award at the Royal Horticultural

Society Awards Dinner in Aberdeen.

Wildflowers Work!!

By using creative conservation techniques to brighten up

Irk valley sites, the Project looked towards using wildflowers

to create eyecatching entrances.The areas that were chosen

were significantly different in type. From semi-formal

wildflower borders to large scale meadow creation schemes

local people were out in force to make a difference on

their own particular open spaces.



A lot of people have put a lot of

hard work in to the area and it shows.It has been a pleasure to see it develop.



Sites in Focus

Tweedle Common is a former landfill site running along the Northern edge of the Irk Valley.

Immediately adjacent to Plant Hill High School, the Common is an important area of natural green space.

The wide areas of grassland and woodland copses are great for wildlife, and the relatively flat landscape

has good access making it for ideal for walking. In the past it has suffered from vandalism and burned

out cars, but with a new identity, the Common has a new sense of purpose..

Working with local residents, Manchester City Council and the Red Rose Forest Green Tips officer,

access points were identified and improved with appropriate fencing and stiles used on other Irk Valley sites.

A new orchard area has been planted, a wildflower meadow sown and seating installed. Burned out cars

have become a thing of the past.

If you go down to the Woods today...

Harpurhey Woods forms a two Hectare green edge along Harpurhey

Road, running directly behind the Baytree renewal area and nearby

school. The Woods have become overgrown, with bramble encroaching

onto the kerbside driving pedestrians dangerously close to the road itself.

There were serious amounts

of fly tipping along the woodland

edge, and the dense nature of

the trees meant that walking

from Rochdale Road to Waterloo

Street was not particularly

safe or welcoming.

A two week period of specialist

woodland management,

rubbish clearance and vegetation

removal has meant that the

aspect along Harpurhey road

is much lighter and better.

Further work will be needed,but the scheme has already

made a real difference.

Shackliffe Green, Moston

This area of undisturbed scrubland

has suffered a lot in terms of illegal

motorcycling and flytipping.

The network of paths are used to

access the excellent Boggart Hole

Clough Park, and also the North

Manchester High School for Girls.

Working with local people and

Groudwork Manchester, the Irk valley

project helped tidy up two neglected

access points, putting in good stileaccess, signs and fencing and

more are planned for next year.

Cllr Ken Barnes says

“We’ve made a good start.

Its been a tremendous effort

all round and we can now

look towards establishing long

term management on site.”

Andy Edwards, Red Rose Forest

Green Tips Officer says “A lot

of people have put a lot of

hard work in to the area

and it shows. It has been a

pleasure to see it develop.”



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Read All about it!!

What a year!! The Project is really growing, with lots of

people and organisations showing an interest and getting

involved across North Manchester. Irk Valley events

have been highlighted in lots of local newspaper

articles and GMR radio did a five show focus on

walking in the Irk Valley from the city centre

to Heaton Park.

The Project even got a slot on prime time national

television,as Blackley won the Urban Community

category in Britain in Bloom.A BBC film crew

spent a day filming with local groups in the

Irk Valley, and I proudly attended the Award

ceremony in Aberdeen as hardworking

Blackley resident Ivy Worswick and

Bob Cain from Manchester City

Council lifted the trophy!

The project goes from strength

to strength, and slowly but surely

we are realising the potential of

open space in North Manchester.

Help us to make it work.

Dave Barlow

Irk Valley Project Officer

Irk Valley on the Web

We now have an interactive website www.irkvalley.info

where you can check out up date site information, news

and views on particular schemes.The website is constantly being updated, and will soon feature state of the ar t

panoramic views and landscapes, so get on line!!

Get Stuck In!!

Volunteering in the Irk Valley couldn't

be easier... we work with many different

volunteer groups, so you'll never be

on your own on an Irk Valley event.

Activities include:

• Pond Creation

• Boardwalk Building

• Fencing, Path and Step work

• Cleanups

• Bulb planting and seed sowing

Learn new skills and make

a difference.. Join in!!

The British Trust for Conservation

Volunteers also provide certificated

courses for a range of tasks.The Irk Valley

Project facilitates a number of volunteer

days with the BTCV throughout the year,

usually midweek.We also work with the

Manchester Leisure Parks Warden Service

and CSV Go Manchester who run

weekend events in the Irk Valley.

Useful numbers:

British Trust for Conservation Volunteers

0161 608 0498

CSV GO! Manchester0161 833 0245

Manchester Leisure Park Wardens

0161 795 2650

Documents

Irk Valley Review 0203