Supporting Friends of Slaithwaite Millpond

The Friends of Slaithwaite Millpond is a local organisation, currently on the pathway to charity status, whose aim is to restore and preserve the historical watercourse in Kirklees, known locally as The Dam.

As an independent organisation, the excellent work the Friends are doing to preserve Slaithwaite’s heritage and improve amenities in the town relies heavily on the support and volunteering efforts of the local community.

Inspired by the project’s aims and the benefits it can bring to the community, Wilkinson Woodward is proud to support The Friends of Slaithwaite Millpond by providing them with pro bono legal work.

About the Slaithwaite Millpond project

While the town dates back to the 13^th century and there are signs of earlier Roman and Anglo-Saxon settlements, like many places in our part of West Yorkshire, modern Slaithwaite began to take shape during the Industrial Revolution. During this period, the millpond played a vital role in storing water for hydropower and other industrial processes. After the mills’ decline, it subsequently became a place of recreation, locally known as ‘the dam’, where the townsfolk would go to paddle and swim.

Sadly, today, the watercourse has fallen into a state of disrepair and is in danger of disappearing completely, with its infrastructure dilapidated, the upper pond a marsh and the lower pond struggling to support aquatic life. Restoration involves removing or improving 750 tonnes of pond silt, classified as toxic waste, which has come from the River Colne. Just fixing this problem, potentially with the introduction of toxin-digesting flora, is expected to cost £130,000, over half of the anticipated costs of the entire project.

With time running out, The Friends of Slaithwaite Millpond aim to regenerate the area, restoring the watercourse and creating a sustainable ecosystem that matches the beauty of the Colne Valley and where careful wildlife management can create much-needed habitats for flora and fauna. There is even the potential to use the pond for its original purpose, bringing environmentally friendly hydropower back to the town.

By restoring natural habitats and industrial heritage, the millpond will not only improve amenities in the town but attract visitors, helping local businesses. The land will also be opened for educational use, where children of all ages can learn about history and the relationships between flora and pondlife.

How Wilkinson Woodward has helped

Fortuitously for The Friends of Slaithwaite Millpond, the pond’s philanthropic landowner is more interested in the needs of the town than in making profits. As a result, there is an agreement in principle for the Friends to take a 25-year tri-party lease on the land. However, to reduce legal costs for all parties involved in the lease; The Friends of Slaithwaite Millpond have decided to change its legal status from being a Constituted Organisation to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, prior to signing the lease.

As the independent legal representation required to do this would be a significant drain on the organisation’s finances, Wilkinson Woodward has offered to undertake the work on a pro bono basis.

The ex-gratia work follows previous pro bono work we have undertaken for a number of local charities and good causes, including the Next Step Trust, Overgate Hospice and the Halifax, Huddersfield, Bradford & District Branch of the RSPCA.

Keith Anderson, Chair and Founder of The Friends of Slaithwaite Millpond said he was not only very impressed with Wilkinson Woodward’s generosity but our, “Genuine excitement at being involved in [the Friends’] endeavours to preserve the industrial heritage of Slaithwaite.”

We have been providing legal services to the local communities of Halifax, Huddersfield and Brighouse for nearly as long as the millpond has been in existence and we are delighted to be able to support this inspirational project as we also look forward to it achieving its goals.