An environmental charity has proposed installing bio-receptive tiles in a Whitby estuary to restore habitats for coastal wildlife.

Groundwork North East & Cumbria (GNEC) plans to place 95 bio-receptive tiles and six artificial rock pools on the disused slipway at Whitehall Landing, near the A171.

The initiative aims to attract new species and boost biodiversity, benefiting wildlife such as water voles, kingfishers, and freshwater pearl mussels.

The charity also wants the project to “help to connect the local community to the river.”

The estuary was selected due to its classification as a “heavily modified water body,” where artificial alterations have diminished habitat diversity.

If approved by North Yorkshire Council, the tiles will be affixed to the concrete slipway approximately 200 meters north of the A171 road bridge.

These tiles are designed to create a more textured surface than the current concrete, promoting colonisation by seaweeds, green algae, and other species.

Currently, three types of seaweed are found at the lower end of the slipway, while no vegetation exists at the upper end. The proposed changes are expected to significantly enhance the area’s ecological complexity.

No decision date has been set by the council to consider the application. If approved, the project could provide a valuable boost to the estuary’s biodiversity.