Tawd Valley Park Access and River Improvements

The project is the first phase of access and habitat improvements in Tawd Valley Park Skelmersdale, concentrating along the river between Summer Street and Houghton Road. Its objectives include improving and building footpaths and access features, preventing further erosion of footpaths by the River Tawd, creating habitat to improve fish stocks and for other aquatic wildlife. Public access improvements include resurfacing of footpaths, repairing steps, repairing a bridge, replacing footpaths eroded in the recent floods and removing fallen trees and vegetation from across the footpath. The use of natural materials and methods will be used at locations where bank erosion and scour is threatening the footpath e.g. secured brash, willow spilling or a tree kicker. The works will provide habitat for aquatic wildlife, other improvements would include thinning large woody debris from the river channel and tree thinning along the banks to increase light penetration and promote more diverse marginal vegetation.