As you will unfortunately read in the Ranger’s Report there are changes being planned for the ranger service which will impact on the Dene. It is possible that the future role of the ranger will be more linked to basic maintenance and less to education and conservation. This will obviously impact on visits by school groups and ranger events. At the time of writing the events programme is not finalised for this reason and is not listed in this newsletter. There are also likely to be redundancies. This would appear to be particularly short sighted given the likely positive outcome of the Heritage Lottery bid, which has now finally been submitted.
Despite the uncertainty over future staffing levels for Millfield House, the Committee hope the Local History Room will be open as usual on Sunday afternoons from Easter until the end of August.
The ranger service as a whole is currently facing some changes to the way it works including staff reductions. This will have an impact on Jesmond Dene, although at present we are unsure about exactly what the changes will mean. We expect to have a reduced level of staff; this will have an impact on school groups, events and other activities the rangers carry out.
Over the last few months the rangers have been very busy with the volunteers - the majority of activities that are carried out would just not be done without their assistance. The rangers are in the process of applying for a grant from SITA to repair one of the Victorian ponds. So far the pond has been cleared out and we are waiting for quotes for repair before we continue.
February 2006 has seen two big trees come down in the Dene. One of the big beech trees at the Armstrong Bridge entrance fell on the 10 February. So far it has been cleared off the path, but more tidying up is needed. Three days earlier a big sycamore came down, just behind the stepping stones. The volunteers have been in and removed the loose debris, but the majority of the tree remains in the water.
If you would like to keep updated on what’s going on, the Rangers are now producing Jesmond Dene News on a bimonthly basis; it gives details of recent activities and details of events. The newsletter can be collected from the visitor centre or the café at Millfield House.
The volunteers have had a busy few months; in September we received the news that the application for a grant from the LHI was successful. Work has now started on the mill although much of it, so far, has been behind the scenes!
We’ve spent a lot of time cleaning out the river, removing over three skip loads of rubbish. We’ve also been trimming some of the overhanging branches that catch the rubbish when the river is high and leave an unsightly mess when the river level drops. Probably our most notable achievement was removing a big ash tree that had lodged itself on two of the weirs. A combined effort with the Park Keepers still took us four sessions to get it cleared.
Other activities have varied from path clearing to laying down wood chippings. We also hired a wood chipper for a week in February. We plan to continue opening up the main paths in places and in some areas are removing a lot of the self seeded trees; this will hopefully improve the biodiversity of the area by allowing more ground flora to flourish.
Recently we have been clearing out one of the Victorian lily ponds that had become cracked and overgrown. The Rangers are in the process of applying for a grant from SITA to repair the pond. (See the Ranger’s Report for more details.)
The much delayed Ouseburn Parks Project Heritage Lottery Bid application was finally submitted in January to the regional office of the HLF. The amount of information requested and submitted filled four arch lever files!!! We are extremely hopeful that the project will be acceptable and that we will be given positive news in July when the examining board has arrived at a decision.
It was decided to submit an application once again for Paddy Freeman's Park this year but not to do so for Heaton Park. This is because many of the negative comments by the judges for Heaton Park were infrastructure problems, which hopefully will eventually be addressed if the lottery bid is successful. Judging will take place either in May or early June with a decision by the end of July.
Following the end of the last ice age 10,000 years ago, when the glaciers retreated and sea level rose, Britain became an island cut off from the rest of the European mainland. Plants and animals that survived from this period are known as native species. As time passed, a balance was created between these species as the British Isles ecosystem developed. As a result there was a great biodiversity of plants and animals intricately linked and dependant on each other. No one species was allowed to dominate as a natural system of checks and balances evolved based on the food chain. The main natural influence on this system was the weather and climate, which could affect populations of plants and animals.
As the population of humans increased things began to change. One way that man altered the natural balance was by introducing new species from around the world. These non-native species tended not to have natural predators and so came to dominate and out-compete the native species. The introduction of the Grey Squirrel from America in the 1870s is a good example. The resulting decline in the Reds is in part a consequence of the more dominant Greys out-competing them for food. The natural progression of this may result in the extinction of the Reds from Britain if action is not taken. The problem with Japanese Knotweed (widespread in Jesmond Dene) is another example where an introduced plant is out competing more established species.
It is the job of the conservationist to try and manage the parks and countryside to conserve our natural heritage and control or eradicate problem species. This is often a difficult job that has been discussed in previous newsletters. You can help by planting native species in your gardens. The benefits for biodiversity are great and you will enjoy a greater array of wildlife on your doorstep. Simple things can make a difference, for example setting an area of lawn aside to grow long and planting it up with native wildflowers, creating a pond to encourage frogs, newts and dragonflies or building a pile of logs and branches to act as a habitat for invertebrates.
The official hand-over of Ouseburn Farm’s £1 million environmental training and education centre took place in December 2005. The celebrations were marked by pupils from Byker and Hotspur Primary Schools cutting a specially designed twine and leaf ‘ribbon’.
The new building demonstrates cutting edge environmental design and provides a much needed community space within The Ouseburn Valley. The event provided guests with the opportunity to tour the Centre’s facilities and gain a better understanding of its environmental and heritage based training and education resources. Featuring a visitor area, classrooms and spaces for art and craft activities, the two-storey Centre is set to be the focal point for the Ouseburn Valley.
The hand-over of the building marks the next step towards the regeneration of the site which is due to open to the public by the spring. Based on the site of the former Byker City Farm, Ouseburn Farm will offer an outdoor classroom, meadow, pond, community orchard, herb garden and, on completion of the pole barn, a small number of animals. The Farm Management Committee will support and encourage the Friends of the Farm and volunteers by developing a programme of events and activities at the building and in the surrounding open spaces within the Valley.
If people want to become a Friend of the Farm and receive updates on progress and be involved, please contact: Ouseburn Farm, Ouseburn Road, Ouseburn, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 2PA
A public meeting is being held on 11 March at the Ouseburn Regeneration Centre on Spillers Quay between 11am- 4pm. It includes a drop in session between 11 – 12.30 where people can look at displays and information about the Ouseburn Catchment. In the afternoon a workshop will discuss key issues and how these should be considered within a catchment plan.
A Steering Committee was established in February made up a broad representation of stakeholders in the Ouseburn. The aim of the committee will be to oversee the development of the catchment plan over the next six months.
Throughout the autumn PURE Ouseburn has been actively involved in a wide range of participation events. Several public meetings were organised across the catchment to raise awareness and identify areas of concern and interest. Information from these meetings, together with questionnaire responses (the result of a huge mailshot across the catchment) helped to define six key themes:
| Flooding |
| Development, character and change |
| Environmental improvements |
| Recreation and access |
| Water quality |
| Wildlife and ecology |
These themes were then the subject of specific focus groups which met in November and December 2005 and will form part of the catchment planning.
The Council has secured the withdrawal of all the objections from statutory bodies, including the Environment Agency, Northumbrian Water and English Nature. There remains five objections from individuals. The original Order has been amended following a number of suggested changes by the Department for Transport, although the fundamental proposals remain the same. The Council is currently advertising the changes to the Order. The consultation period expired on 24 February. The Department for Transport is due to make a decision on 3 March on whether to call a public inquiry.
Stepney Bank Stables building improvement works are very nearly complete with both sites fully operational again by the end of February. A huge re-launch is planned for the last weekend in April when everyone can visit to admire the new buildings, meet the horses and find out about all the fantastic activities available. Don’t miss it! Stepney is currently offering newcomers a special discounted rate of £5 for your first lesson. To book call 0191 261 5544.