An open meeting will take place on Tuesday to set up a citizen science group for the River Ure.

Volunteer groups are already in place for the rivers Swale and Nidd, and next week's meeting, at Leyburn Methodist Church Hall at 6pm, will see one created for the Ure, with the assistance of the Yorkshire Dales River Trust (YDRT).

The key speaker will be Charlotte Simons, YDRT senior project manager for its Catchment Partnership. The meeting will also be attended by Clare Beasant, Yorkshire Water’s river health improvement manager.

Many of the 120 people who attended the first Health of the River Ure meeting sponsored by the Association of Rural Communities have expressed their interest is seeing such a group formed, with more than 35 willing to assist with water sampling from Appersett to Ripon.

Some met in Leyburn on Friday, June 14 to prepare for setting up the group and six are willing to form a committee.

They were joined by David Clayden, chairman of the Nidd Action Group, who described how it was was set up. There was also information from the Richmond-based Save our Swale group.

Friday's meeting also heard calls for local planning authorities to be more proactive in protecting rivers from pollution, and concerns that the treatment plants along the River Ure are no longer able to cope with the amount of sewage, but more housing estates and holiday lodge developments are being approved.