ABLE1 — Caldervale

The fish farming compound at Caldervale – before and after

A fish farming area has now been established, with six large fish tanks housing Sturgeon, ornamental and edible Carp, Tilapia and Catfish.

Young people are also learning about healthy eating at the site, and are gaining training in horticulture by growing their own vegetables on site.

Work has also started on the 3 km, educational, wildlife trail manufactured from recycled plastic, with recycled glass substrate.

[Left] The path stretching away into the distance.
[Bottom Right] One of the educational ‘pods’.

Composted sewage sludge has now been added to the former landfill site to enable the growing of trees and willow coppice.

The willow coppice is used as a Biofuel for use in the on-site boiler, which is presently used to heat the water in the fish tanks. In time this will also be extended to the office area and the other new buildings planned for the site.

The beginnings of a tree nursery have also been established. The photo below shows just a small proportion of the young saplings grown.

Following site tours and presentations to groups from Kirklees at the Caldervale site Kirklees Councillors were so impressed that they offered the site in Heckmondwike to be developed into ABLE2. We are now ready to put the lessons learned from the ABLE project in Wakefield and put them into practice in developing our new site with additional activities, hopefully to include a community café, fishing ponds and a bike repair and recycling facility in Heckmondwike – ABLE2.