Happy ending as TV soap cleans up damage done to Ilkley Moor site

Earlier this year members of the local environmental group, Friends of Ilkley Moor, were left upset after production vehicles and heavy filming equipment damaged the Cow and Calf Rocks, a site of specific scientific interest in Ilkley, by churning up the ground and leaving tyre tracks.

Landowner Bradford Council had granted permission for the shoot for a fee of £2,000 to soap producer ITV Yorkshire but said the crew took more equipment than expected onto the moor.

Friends say initially only a couple of Land Rovers were anticipated but vastly more equipment was taken up to film a scene at the Cow & Calf Rocks.

Walkers and people living close to the edge of the celebrated moor were quick to say how concerned they were about the damage being done while the shoot was in progress.

When the damage was originally done the group said as well as churning up the path the disturbance had undone a good deal of work carried out in fighting erosion.

Now work has finished on making good the damage the Friends say they are delighted with the response.

Dinsdale Moorland Services, a specialist moorland contactor was commissioned to undertake the work and consents were obtained from Natural England and English Heritage.

The track from opposite the Cow & Calf Hotel has been resurfaced and the footpath route leading towards Backstone Beck, a total length of approximately 500 metres.

The total cost of the work is estimated at £26,000 which will be funded by Emmerdale Productions.

Owen Wells, chairman of the Friends of Ilkley Moor, which has under 500 members, said:

“After the filming the Friends had many disagreements with Emmerdale as to the funding of the work to repair the damage done by the filming equipment, but I am pleased to say that apart from a £2,000 donation to the Friends, and funding of the damage, we are most grateful for a further grant.

“A substantial part of the £26,000 has been set aside to resurface the path from Cow & Calf Rocks to Backstone Beck; the state of the path was not caused by filming.”

A spokesman for the Friends added: “All’s well that ends well. “There was a bit of a ‘hoo-hah’ to begin with to say the least but they have done extremely well by us.”