TEES VALLEY LOCAL AC CESS FORUM ANNUAL REPORT 2014 - 2 0 1 5 Chairman’s Report The Heritage Lottery Funded Partner- The TVLAF is supporting steps to ex- ship programme, River Tees Re- tend the England Coast Path route discovered centering on the River Tees, from North Gare at Hartlepool across Appointing Authority was officially launched on the 17th the Tees Estuary to link with the Cleve- Membership March 2015 at Middlesbrough College. land Way. The Secretary of State has ‘Welcome Aboard’ was attended by opened the consultation on this stretch COUNCILLOR MICHAEL SMITH representatives from local business and during March 2015 linking North Gare industry, and senior leaders from the in Hartlepool, across the Newport STOCKTON ON TEES BOROUGH COUNCIL public and third sectors. The TVLAF Bridge to Middlesbrough and on to has played a key role in the develop- Filey Brigg in North Yorkshire. ment of this project, pulling together COUNCILLOR DOT LONG the relevant Officers and Volunteers DARLINGTON BOROUGH COUNCIL critical to the project’s success. Doug Nicholson, Chair of River Tees Rediscovered, said: “The River Tees is COUNCILLOR ALAN CLARK the greatest natural asset in the area HARTLEPOOL BOROUGH and this will be the first time it has COUNCIL been developed as a whole. We view this project as a real opportunity to change perceptions about our river and COUNCILLOR CHARLES our area, to look through fresh eyes at ROONEY the beauty and drama of the landscape MIDDLESBROUGH COUNCIL today and to celebrate this great asset Newport Bridge by courtesy of Malc McDonald at the heart of Teesside.’’ In 2009 the Limestone Landscapes Regional working has continued, with partnership began the current pro- joint work pledged between our gramme of works. Audits were carried neighbouring LAF at Durham with the out into History, Geology and Wildlife most recent Lottery funded initiative, Inside the Annual to find out what made this area special. the Bright Water partnership focussing Report Each of these reports had an action on the River Skerne. The project covers BUSINESS OF THE FORUM 2 plan of potential projects. The top 24 200km2 from Hurworth Burn in Dur- projects are underway reaching large ham to South Park in Darlington and PARTNERSHIPS 2 members of the general public with includes Durham County Council, many events and activities taking GroundworkNE, Durham Wildlife STOCKTON ON TEES 3 place. Trust and the Tees River Trust. UPDATE With a successful bid to Paths for Com- My thanks go to the Rights of Way Of- DARLINGTON, HARTLE- 4 munities and joint work with Elwick ficers across the Tees Valley and for the POOL AND MIDDLES- BROUGH UPDATES Parish Council, a circular path through valuable contribution of all the TVLAF the creation of two new public foot- members have made to the success of REGIONAL WORKING 5 paths will be developed around Elwick these initiatives. village linking footpaths and routes to Robin Daniels MEMBERSHIP 6 neighbouring villages and into Hartle- pool. Chair, Tees Valley Local Access Forum Tees Valley Local Access Forum Annual Report 2014-15 Business of the Forum The AGM on the 15th May complement of Rights of and Access Officer at 2014 at Preston Park in Way Officers. River Tees Re-Discovered Stockton on Tees dis- An Induction for the new at the AGM outlined a cussed the ramifications members was held at Pre- number of projects al- of the absence of a Devel- ston Park on 13th February ready underway. All aim opment Officer and the 2015 where roles were to increase local interest in need to add depth to the outlined and present work the project area and build current membership pro- discussed. in improvements. So far a file. On a positive note, number of volunteers and th the Chair Robin Daniels On the 24 March 2015 apprentices have been The Howls in Dalton Piercy and Vice Chair Rob the AGM in Middles- recruited who are work- Brown were both unani- brough saw the introduc- ing together with local mously re-elected. tion of the Work Pro- employers including gramme; a result of time At the meeting on the 9th Cummins Engines and spent by the DO canvass- December 2014 in the Tata Steel on a number of ing elected and estab- Place in the Park in Har- activities which include lished members to con- tlepool, three new mem- work at Snipe Pond, the firm how the Forum bers were welcomed on North Tees Trail and IF YOU HAVE should move forward. board, Yvonne Ramage, Green Shoots Walk. EXPERIENCE AND Mike Cherrett and Dave A presentation by Chris- EXPERTISE TO Reed together with a full tine Corbett, Community SHARE IN ENCOURAGING HEALTHY USE OF Partnerships— Local Nature Partnership RIGHTS OF WAY Rob Brown is part of the Green Places Project in the birds of Teesmouth IN THE TEES Management Team on the October 2014. The five since 1960 and is widely VALLEY THEN Teesside Local Nature year project aims to in- recognized as the fore- PLEASE GET IN Partnership and during crease the skills of local most authority on the TOUCH 2014 a number of initia- people to record and care birds of the Tees estuary. tives were launched by for wildlife in the areas partners across the group. open spaces working with twenty local community These include the Your wildlife groups across the Tees Catchment Partner- Tees Valley. ship which is supported by a range of organisa- Vic Fairbrother of the tions intending to shape Conservation Sub- the Catchment Based Ap- Committee of Teesmouth proach to river manage- Bird Club (TBC), with in- ment in the Tees. put by TVWT and RSPB, produced a list detailing The Tees Valley Wildlife Hebridean sheep at Teesmouth Species of Conservation Trust received a grant of Concern and Local Signifi- £425,800 from the Heri- cance in the Tees Valley. tage Lottery Fund (HLF) TBC has been monitoring for the Tees Valley Wild Page 2 Tees Valley Local Access Forum Annual Report 2014-15 Partnerships - River Tees Re-discovered The River Tees Re- the total funding package Park within the North Discovered Landscape including partner contri- Tees Natural Network, Partnership covers an area butions standing at £3.7m Tees Barrage as a gateway of 140km2 within the Tees for the 5 year Landscape to Tees Heritage Park and Valley, focusing on the Partnership. upstream to Piercebridge, river corridor from the linked together through The project aims to high- coast at Teesmouth to the Teesdale Way. light the importance of the Piercebridge just outside waterway as a national Darlington. A stage two feature which has had a application for Heritage key role in moulding the Lottery Fund (HLF) sup- physical and cultural de- port was successful in velopment of the area. It June 2014, unlocking will include Saltholme £1.9m HLF funding with Wildlife and Discovery Partnerships - England Coastal Path IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PLAY A Efforts to open up more of report to the Secretary of started on proposals for the region’s coastline to State setting out the pro- improved public access PART IN walkers are now well un- posals for improved ac- along a stretch of the SHAPING derway after the England cess to the coast between north east coast taking in ACCESS IN THE Coast Path between South Newport Bridge in Mid- the estuary between TEES VALLEY Bents in Sunderland and dlesbrough and Filey North Gare in Hartlepool the North Gare in Seaton Brigg in North Yorkshire. and Newport Bridge in PLEASE GET IN Carew in Hartlepool was The route is expected to Middlesbrough. Natural TOUCH AND officially opened at Sea- follow existing promoted England expect the new JOIN IN ham, on the 15th April paths including the Cleve- access to be ready during 2014. land Way National Trail 2016. and the Teesdale Way. On 26 March 2015, Natu- ral England submitted a In addition, work has Stockton on Tees Borough Council Update Rob Morrow regularly isting stiles have already Rob Morrow keeps the meetings up to been replaced by kissing Rights of Way Officer date with progress at gates and a new board- Stockton Tees Borough walk constructed at Ais- Council. At the final laby. He reported that meeting of the year he disabled members of the described work already Yarm Angling Club can underway on the Tees- now access the river be- dale Way, as part of the tween Aislaby Road and Yarm Road Bridge RTR project, where 6 ex- Nelly Burdon Beck. Page 3 Tees Valley Local Access Forum Annual Report 2014-15 Darlington Borough Council Update As Malcolm Thompson fencing to improve access at Newton Aycliffe. Pre- reported, Darlington Bor- is to start in the new fi- paratory hedge works ough Council now have nancial year. The Tees- have been done and the signed permissive agree- dale Way will then be way excavation work for the ment with the landowners marked around the river- cable is to commence at and lessees at Middles- side footpath as well as the end of March. The brough Football Club the current route. route will be closed whilst the work is ongoing and training ground at Rock- Other paperwork during the route will be resur- liffe. The agreement is for the year included North- faced on completion of the 10 years and it links the ern Powergrid using West Park Nature cul-de-sac Footpath 21 work. Reserve, Darlington Patches Lane as the major Hurworth around the part of their route for the river between Low Rock- cable supplying electricity Malcolm Thompson Countryside liffe and the Tees Viaduct. to the new Hitachi factory Access Officer Work to install steps and IF YOU WOULD Hartlepool Borough Council Update LIKE TO BECOME has been improved and Hartlepool is no excep- A MEMBER OF Chris Scaife received ap- now provides a multi-user tion; one of the well used plications for a number of THE TVLAF, surface in the Golden Hart bridleway access path improvements, in Flatts area.