New Penwortham wetlands delayed due to not enough water

A new mini wetlands alongside the River Ribble has been delayed from opening due to ongoing drought. Preston and Lancashire’s dry spell through April and May means the Ribble Sidings […]

mingooland June 14, 2025

2 min read

An aerial view of the Ribble Sidings which is starting to slowly fill with water Pic: Environment Agency

A new mini wetlands alongside the River Ribble has been delayed from opening due to ongoing drought.

Preston and Lancashire’s dry spell through April and May means the Ribble Sidings project is now waiting for some Preston drizzle.

Recent rain has led to the Penwortham wetlands – off Margaret Road – starting to fill up but there’s still not enough of the wet stuff.

It was created on the site where the compound had been for the multi-million pound flood defence works at Preston and South Ribble which began in 2022. The Penwortham side of the works was completed in December last year, while the Broadgate side is seeing one section taking a year longer to complete than planned.

The mini wetlands has pond scrapes, which are shallow dips, which can hold water without increasing flood risks. These give an insect-friendly habitat.

An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “Due to the ongoing drought, the wetland at Ribble Sidings hasn’t filled with water as we’d hoped.

“We’ll keep fencing up until enough rain returns to fill the pond scrapes and more favourable weather conditions allow us to complete the wetland species planting.

“We’re looking forward to delivering this as another community benefit of the Preston and South Ribble Flood Risk Management Scheme.”

Work on a new play park has also been taking place nearby, led by South Ribble Borough Council, and the wetlands will eventually by managed by the borough council.

Preston and the North West of England continues to be covered by a drought warning from the Environment Agency due to the driest Spring in 69 years. Preston is regularly ranked as one of the wettest cities in the UK for average rainfall.

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