A new nature reserve created with a Lottery grant of nearly £30,000 has been hailed as a major boost for the Bradford district ahead of its official opening tomorrow.

Volunteers have worked for more than four months to create the two-acre Esholt Village Nature Reserve at Esholt, near Baildon , in a project that was three years in the planning. Their work included creating wheelchair- friendly footpaths, which allow people to get to the grassland nature reserve on land behind Esholt Sports and Leisure Club, in Esholt Lane.

Club president Bob Wilkinson said: “This will be a great boost for the club and everyone in the village. People have been helping out in all sorts of ways and it is looking really good. We are really impressed by what everyone has done, particularly because most have been volunteers.”

Other attractions include a pond and hedgerow, a bird-viewing screen and a boardwalk through a wet grassland wildflower area. It has been created thanks to a £28,500 grant from the Lottery-funded Community Spaces programme.

Forest of Bradford project manager Ian Butterfield said the organisation hoped to attract schools and community groups to the new wildlife haven, and paid tribute to those who have given up their time to help with the project.

Mr Butterfield said: “More than 60 volunteers have contributed about 3,000 hours to the development of the nature reserve over the last four months.

“We would like local schools and people to use and enjoy the reserve and, over the next 12 months, a series of public events to promote the site will be held including a bat walk, small mammal identification and a moth trapping evening.”

Shipley MP Philip Davies will officially open the Esholt Village Nature Reserve on Saturday between noon and 2pm.