Newcastle City Council and Gateshead Council Green Infrastructure Study – River Tyne Report
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Newcastle City Council and Gateshead Council Green Infrastructure Study – River Tyne Report September 2011 Page 1 February 2011 Third-Party Disclaimer Any disclosure of this report to a third-party is subject to this disclaimer. The report was prepared by Entec at the instruction of, and for use by, our client named on the front of the report. It does not in any way constitute advice to any third-party who is able to access it by any means. Entec excludes to the fullest extent lawfully permitted all liability whatsoever for any loss or damage howsoever arising from reliance on the contents of this report. We do not however exclude our liability (if any) for personal injury or death resulting from our negligence, for fraud or any other matter in relation to which we cannot legally exclude liability. Page ii August 2011 This report has been written for Newcastle City and Newcastle City Council Gateshead Councils by Entec and forms part of the evidence base for the joint Core Strategy, the Green and Gateshead Council Infrastructure Delivery Plans and the Infrastructure Delivery Plan. The work has been funded by Growth Point, through Bridging NewcastleGateshead. Green Infrastructure Study – Main Contributors River Tyne Report John Pomfret Rebecca Evans September 2011 Kay Adams Andy Cocks Anita Hogan Jane Lancaster Laura Black Donna Warren Entec UK Limited Robin Cox Issued by John Pomfret Entec UK Limited Council officers steering this project: Nina Barr, Gables House Derek Hilton-Brown and Theo van Looij Kenilworth Road (Newcastle City Council); Peter Bell and Clive Leamington Spa Gowlett (Gateshead Council). CV32 6JX England Tel: +44 (0) 1926 439000 Fax: +44 (0) 1926 439010 Project 26173 In accordance with an environmentally responsible approach, this document is printed on recycled paper produced from 100% post-consumer waste, or on ECF (elemental chlorine free) paper Page iii August 2011 Page iv August 2011 Contents Volume 1 – Evidence Base 1. The River Tyne in context 1 1.1 Changing role of the river 1 1.1.1 History 1 1.1.2 Ecology 8 1.1.3 Climate change 9 1.2 Policy context 10 1.3 Purpose of this study 12 1.4 Geographical scope 12 1.5 Methodology 13 1.5.1 Task one: Desk study – existing green infrastructure assets 13 1.5.2 Task two: Survey 13 1.5.3 Task three: Desk study - development context 13 1.5.4 Task four: Describe and map current green infrastructure assets 14 1.5.5 Task four: Consultation 14 1.5.6 Task five: Contribution of the River Tyne to green infrastructure 14 2. Development context, land-use and river use 15 2.1 Introduction 15 2.2 Historic legacy 15 2.3 Urban development in the river corridor 16 2.3.1 Overview 16 2.3.2 Employment 17 2.3.3 Housing 17 2.3.4 Tourism 18 2.3.5 Health 18 2.3.6 Area Action Plans 19 2.4 Undeveloped areas 19 2.5 Community facilities 20 2.6 Contaminated land 21 2.7 Influence from outside the river corridor 23 3. Existing green infrastructure assets 25 3.1 Introduction 25 3.2 Water 25 Page v August 2011 3.2.1 Hydrology and tides 25 3.2.2 Flooding and sea-level rise 26 3.2.3 Temperature rise 27 3.2.4 Water quality and contamination 27 3.2.5 Green infrastructure considerations – water 28 3.3 Ecological resource 28 3.3.1 Introduction 28 3.3.2 Designated sites/areas 28 3.3.3 Wildlife corridors 33 3.3.4 Estuary corridor habitats 34 3.3.5 Mobile species 35 3.3.6 Green infrastructure considerations - ecology 39 3.4 Landscape, townscape and cultural heritage resource 40 3.4.1 Overview 40 3.4.2 Character Types 41 3.4.3 Visual Resource 46 3.4.4 Designated cultural heritage sites 50 3.4.5 Public Art 50 3.4.6 Green infrastructure considerations – landscape and townscape 51 3.5 Social resource 52 3.5.1 Introduction 52 3.5.2 Key access routes 52 3.5.3 Waterway access 56 3.5.4 Public transport services 59 3.5.5 Green infrastructure considerations - access 60 3.5.6 Economic contribution of green infrastructure 61 4. The River Tyne corridor green infrastructure resource in NewcastleGateshead 63 Page vi August 2011 Volume 2 - Strategy Report 5. Introduction 67 6. Green infrastructure strategy for the River Tyne 69 6.1 Strategic corridor 69 6.2 Development areas 69 6.3 Extent and quality of the aquatic environment 70 6.4 Aquatic and water dependent ecology 71 6.5 Landscape, townscape and cultural heritage 72 6.6 Social uses 73 6.6.1 Bankside use 73 6.6.2 Waterborne use 74 6.7 Integrated management 76 TABLES Table 1.1 Tyne Estuary ferry services 4 Table 1.2 Bridges across the Tyne Estuary in NewcastleGateshead (from west to east) 6 Table 1.3 Policies relevant to Green Infrastructure and the Tyne Estuary corridor 10 Table 3.1 River flows 25 Table 3.2 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in or adjoining the Tyne Estuary corridor 29 Table 3.3 Local Nature Reserves in or adjoining the Tyne Estuary corridor 29 Table 3.4 Local Wildlife Sites (formerly SNCI) and SLCI in or adjoining the Tyne Estuary corridor 30 Table 3.5 Landmarks connected to the river 47 Table 3.6 Recreation and tourism navigation facilities on the Tyne Estuary in NewcastleGateshead 57 Table 4.1 Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges 63 Table II.1 Location of Tyne Intertidal Survey Sampling Station, November 2009 II-2 Table II.2 Location of Tyne Intertidal Survey Sampling Station, November 2009 II-4 Table II.3 Relative abundance of macro-algae found during the Tyne Intertidal Surveys, November 2009 II-5 Table II.4 Fish recorded in beam trawl surveys of the River Tyne between 1982 and 1989 II-8 Table II.5 Peak numbers of wildfowl and waders using Dunston and Blaydon count sectors in winter 1998/99 II-11 Table II.6 Peak numbers for the River Tyne Tidal Mud LWS in Gateshead 2000-2007 II-12 Table II.7 Maximum counts of wildfowl, waders and gulls at Dunston during winters 2001/02, 2002/03 and 2005/06 II-12 Table II.8 Summary of survey results showing range of counts at each count sector and whole site totals by date II-14 Table II.9 Comparison of maximum counts with regional population figures II-15 Table II.10 Timing and Weather Conditions of Bat Surveys II-23 Table II.11 Bat Survey Results II-24 Annex I River Tyne Study brief Annex II Ecological data Page vii August 2011 Page viii August 2011 NewcastleGateshead Green Infrastructure Study River Tyne Report Copyright Lis Burke CCBYSA 2008 Volume 1 – Evidence Base Copyright Newbiggin Hall Scouts CCBYSA 2007 This volume also forms Appendix M of the overall Evidence Base prepared for the NewcastleGateshead Green Infrastructure Study Page ix August 2011 Page x August 2011 1. The River Tyne in context 1.1 Changing role of the river 1.1.1 History The last ice age Prehistoric glaciers and ice sheets up to the early Holocene period shaped the topography we now see associated with the River Tyne estuary in NewcastleGateshead, leaving the River Tyne draining along a wide glacial valley which narrows abruptly to a deep gorge through the centre of the two towns. Glacial damming of the former course of the River Wear, which joined the Tyne near Dunston, led it to find a new route through the magnesian limestone to the sea at Sunderland, leaving a broad flat valley to the south now occupied only by the diminutive River Team. Early settlement The Tyne Estuary created a hindrance to north-south communication and, although Newcastle was settled probably as long ago as 5000BC, it was the Romans who started significant development of the city of Pons Aelius at the most seaward point that the river could be bridged. Development continued as the town of Monkchester in the Saxon period and it was not until Norman times when William the Conqueror’s eldest son Robert Curthose built a castle on his way back from raiding Scotland and called it his ‘New Castle’ that the The Black Gate (added in about 1250) and Keep current name was born. The castle was rebuilt in stone in 1172 and of the 12thC ‘New Castle’ which were split in Victorian times by the building of the railway during mediæval times, the town became a walled settlement © R J McNaughton CCBYSA 2007 providing defence against the Scots, as well as a major seaport, a function that was to continue to shape Newcastle’s riverside until the mid 20th century. Meanwhile Gateshead was also settled by the Roman period and by the 7th century AD was important enough to have a monastery with an Abbot named Utta, although it remained a small settlement. Set within a largely forested area used by the bishops for hunting, Gateshead continued to grow through the mediæval period, becoming a palatinate borough under the control of the Prince Bishops of Durham in the 12th century and successfully fighting off numerous takeover attempts by Newcastle. Wider disputes between England and Scotland during the Bishops’ Wars that eventually led up to the English Civil War also touched the study area and in 1640 English Royalist forces under the command of Edward, Lord Conway were defeated at the Battle of Newburn Ford by a Scottish Covenanter army who overran Northumberland and Durham.