Project
Client: Mersey Rivers Trust
Location: Moston Brook, off Broadway (A663), near Lower Memorial Park, Manchester / Oldham boundary
Final Value: £8,500
Start Date: August 2020
Finish Date: August 2020
Background
The site is within the boundaries of Manchester City Council and Oldham Council. It is jointly owned by Manchester City Council and by NPL whose managing agent is Landcare. The removal of the weir will also require approval from the Environment Agency. There are currently no designations for the site.
Site location
This stretch of Moston Brook is located off Broadway A663, just off the M60 and 4.4 miles from Manchester City Centre. The nearest road to the site is Broadway and the site is across the road from Lower Memorial Park.
The aim of the project
The project set out to restore approximately 400m of Moston Brook through a series of interventions:
Removal of a concrete weir to improve fish passage and enhance biodiversity along this stretch of the watercourse.
Repair of an eroded riverbank section to prevent further collapse and protect the nearby public footpath.
Removal of failed black plastic mesh that had originally been installed to stabilise the bank but had broken down, resulting in significant plastic pollution in the brook.
As this area is widely used by the local community for recreation, the works also aimed to secure the brook and ensure the space is safe and accessible for public use.
CCNW Solution
Vegetation Clearance
CCNW’s contracts tree team undertook vegetation clearance ahead of the main works. This included the removal of encroaching branches, scrub, and obstructing trees along the brook to allow safe machine access. All arisings were placed as habitat piles within nearby woodland blocks to provide ecological benefit.
Removal of the Weir
The CCNW plant team removed the existing concrete weir, which measured 6.9m in length, 3.7m in width and stood between 1m–1.5m high. Some of the salvaged concrete was repurposed to repair the adjacent eroded riverbank, while the remainder was removed from site and disposed of responsibly. The removal has now opened up this section of the brook for fish passage, improving ecological connectivity.
Removal of Black Mesh from Riverbank
Approximately 200m of the north riverbank was covered in black plastic mesh. This was carefully removed by the CCNW contracts team and taken off site for disposal. This step has eliminated a major source of plastic pollution from the brook and restored the natural condition of the bank.
Conclusion
The first phase of the Moston Brook Restoration Project was finished in just one week, setting the stage for lasting ecological enhancements along this vital urban stream.
The removal of the weir has improved fish migration and biodiversity, while the bank stabilisation works have safeguarded the adjacent footpath for community use. The removal of degraded plastic mesh has reduced pollution and restored a more natural habitat. This first phase represents a vital step towards the wider restoration of Moston Brook, with future phases set to build further on the environmental and community benefits achieved here.
Special Features
Habitat Enhancements
Services
Construction
Vegetation Management
Before
After
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