Brookside Restoration Project

Ribble Rivers Trust are excited to be teaming up with The Prospects Foundation once again, this time for the Brookside Restoration project.

This 18-month project will focus on transforming and restoring the 35-acre Brookside site in Stanhill Village, Oswaldtwistle. Over the years the site has been used for farming, mining, quarrying, and textiles. In fact, Stanhill has it’s very own claim to fame, as in the 1760s, James Hargreaves created the spinning jenny here, which revolutionised the textile industry.

Following the purchase of the site by Hyndburn Borough Council, The Prospects Foundation and partners will be working on improving biodiversity, habitat recovery, carbon capture and climate recovery.

What sort of improvements will we be working on?

For the next 18 months, the focus will be on pulling together information, conducting surveys, and discovering more about the wildlife on the site. This information will feed into the masterplan and activities will include;

  • Surveying the animals, plants, and fungi
  • Testing the water quality in the existing lodges and in Lottice Brook
  • Investigating ways to connect the site to existing paths and cycle routes
  • Removing invasive species to promote ecosystem health
  • Improving signage, fencing, and paths
  • Consulting with disability groups to ensure that Brookside will be a space for everyone
  • Engaging with the local community, to make sure everyone can have their say on the plans

In particular, Ribble Rivers Trust will be delivering classroom and field-based activities with schools, delivering citizen science activities, and organising walks and talks. Our land management team are also taking part in the project, organising farm visits and engaging with local landowners. Our team will also produce two feasibility studies for river restoration and wetland creation projects.

Other partners include Lancashire Wildlife Trust, Stanhill Village Community Association, and Proffitts CIC to transform the space.  This 18-month project has been funded by the National Lottery Climate Action Fund and the Windfall Fund.

Our friends at Prospects will be running volunteer days on the site. Discover more about how you can help on their website: prospectsfoundation.org.uk/brookside-development-project