Home • Projects • ABLE Kirklees
ABLE Kirklees
ABLE Kirklees is a multi-disciplinary environmental scheme that will focus on local sustainable food production and skills development programmes. The site was donated by Kirklees Council along with £1.25 million to develop the scheme. The project will also act as a community amenity.
Objectives
ABLE Kirklees will establish an alternative education resource; provide learning and skills development in aquaculture, horticulture, aquaponics, land and water management and beekeeping together with construction and joinery skills as many elements of establishing the project will be delivered on a self-build basis. Accredited training, work placements and skills development opportunities will be provided to young people disengaged or excluded from mainstream education through the Kirklees Youth Offending Team, clients from the council’s ‘build’ programme, young people funded through the Governments Future Jobs Fund and the Council’s European funded project - Skills for Climate Change. Learning opportunities will also be provided at the Floating café for those suffering with and recovering from mental health problems.
Trainees have been working onsite clearing debris and preparing for construction.
ABLE Kirklees will also provide recreational facilities on the site including: a 4,500sq.m lake, where school children will be taught the art of fishing by the Environment Agency who have designed and part funded the lake; a community facility in the floating café which can be used by local groups including mums and toddlers and the elderly; and a picnic area, wildlife bio-diversity area and footpaths which can be enjoyed by all sections of the local community.
The site has been designed to minimise the use the natural resources by the implementation of rainwater collection, water attenuation and renewable energy. It will be a best practice example of sustainable development delivering significant positive outputs in social, economic and environmental terms.
Project Scope
The following will be established on the site:
For alternative education provision:
- an innovative inland indoor fish farm using aquaponics (the combination of aquaculture & hydroponics)
- large outdoor covered fish tanks
- raised bed horticultural areas with orchard and beehives
- joinery workshops (ideally located in redundant rail coaches)
- Bicycle repair workshop (ideally located in redundant rail coaches)
- Green Business Network office incorporating a training facility. This will be an eco-design floating on a pontoon.
Recreational facilities
- Innovative eco-design floating Café which will also provide signposting and footfall towards the wider Lower Spen recreational corridor.
- A 4500sq m fishing lake - Picnic area
- Wildlife biodiversity area
Follow the project's early progress on its blog-site
