Archive for the ‘Environment’ Category

Purple4Polio 2

November 2, 2018

Consett Rotary Club has given the Trust another 5000 crocus bulbs, to plant in the village.

They have been planted further along the grass verge in front of Riverside, around the Pant and in the verge at Snows Green.

Ten members of the Trust and members of Consett Rotary, who provided the bulbs, volunteered for a couple of hours.

The purple crocus is a symbol of Rotary’s worldwide campaign to eradicate polio, with its colour representing the purple dye used to mark the finger of a child to indicate they have received their life saving oral polio vaccine.

More information can be found on the Rotary website.

Weeding party

July 8, 2018

Thank you to the 8 Trust members who came to the working party on Friday morning to weed the tubs, beds, triangle and paths in the village centre. The place is looking much more cared for now.

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Summer bedding planted

June 9, 2018

This morning the Trust’s volunteers planted the summer bedding in tubs and planters, within the conservation area. Thank you to those that helped and Beveridge’s for supplying and delivering the plants.

We are trying out a more experimental mixture of plants this summer, in the hope of adding more variety. We hope you like the difference.

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Spring is here

April 8, 2018

On Friday, volunteers from the Village Trust were maintaining the sustainable beds in the village centre that the Trust has adopted. The spring bedding in some of our tubs was in full bloom, too.

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Litter picked

March 24, 2018

Thank you to the 15 Trust members who collected 20 bags of litter this morning, during our annual Spring litter pick in the village.

Croci in bloom

March 21, 2018

Last October volunteers from the Trust planted 5000 purple crocus bulbs on the verge opposite Rumi’s.  They had been provided by Consett Rotary Club to raise awareness of its ‘Purple for Polio’ national campaign.

A couple of weeks ago just a handful of crocus were visible, but the warmer weather following the ‘Beast from the East’ has led to the start of blooming. A bit more sunshine over the next few days should ensure a wonderful Easter display, provided children and dogs don’t trample the flowers.

 

Open Meeting – 20th March

March 13, 2018

The Trust’s next ‘Open’ meeting is being held next Tuesday at the Catholic Church Hall on Snows Green Road.

The meeting starts at 7.30pm with coffee/tea & biscuits served from 7.15pm.

The main item on the Agenda is a discussion about ‘dog fouling’, which appears to be getting worse.

Clean sweep for ‘The Cut’

December 11, 2017

Last Friday morning a group of 5 volunteers cleared overhanging branches, debris and mud from the well used tarmac path between Briary Gardens and Peile Park. It is also known as the ‘Chicken Run’, as there used to be a chicken coup in the field beside the path. The stream was also cleared of debris.

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Purple4Polio

November 4, 2017

The Trust has been given 5000 crocus bulbs by Consett Rotary Club, to plant in the village.

It was decided to plant them along the grass verge opposite Rumi’s, in front of the daffodil bulbs which the Trust planted a few years ago.

Over half were planted yesterday by seven volunteers from the Trust and another working party has been arranged for next Friday to finish the job.

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The Rotary’s Purple4Polio initiative in 2016 was a huge success with nearly 7 million purple corms being planted across Great Britain and Ireland resulting in a carpet of purple in communities during spring 2017. This year, Rotary is aiming to go even further and plant 10 million purple crocus corms!

The purple crocus is a symbol of Rotary’s worldwide campaign to eradicate polio, with its colour representing the purple dye used to mark the finger of a child to indicate they have received their life saving oral polio vaccine.

More information can be found on the Rotary website.

Village centre tidy up

October 7, 2017

Thank you to the 10 Trust members who helped remove litter, moss & weeds from the pavements and ‘triangle’ in the village centre yesterday morning. Everywhere looks much tidier now, after only a couple of hours work.

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Working parties are being held on the first Friday morning of the month. Next month we are bulb planting, daffodils & croci along the main road.

 

New rules for dog owners

June 6, 2017

Dog owners are being advised of new rules that came into force in County Durham at the beginning of June.

Durham County Council has introduced a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) to encourage responsible ownership and tackle issues such as dog fouling and strays.

The order, which will replace the existing Dog Control Order introduced in 2009, means that it is now an offence to:

  • Fail to pick up dog mess
  • Allow a dog to stray
  • Fail to put a dog on a lead when directed to do so by an authorised officer
  • Allow a dog into any fenced-off play area named in the PSPO, which includes the new play area on Snows Green Road

Anyone seen flouting the new rules will be issued with a £100 Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN), reduced to £60 if paid within 10 working days. Failing to pay the FPN will result in court action and a possible fine of up to £1,000.

The order will not apply to anyone who is registered blind, is disabled or who uses a trained assistance dog.

Find out more about the new enforcement powers on the County Council’s website.

Litter pick success

April 9, 2017

On Saturday morning 15 members of the Trust, together with our local county councillors, picked up litter from the village centre and along the main roads radiating outwards. Thank you to all those who volunteered. The village looks a lot tidier now.

Land of Oak & Iron

March 7, 2017

The next meeting of the Shotley Bridge Village Trust is on 21st March. Please invite your relatives, friends & neighbours to come along.

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Kath Marshall-Ivens, Community Engagement Officer, from Groundwork will be giving a presentation about the ‘Land of Oak & Iron’ Landscape Partnership.  This 4 year project, hosted by Groundwork NE & Cumbria, is supported by a £2.2 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Working with local communities and partners it aims to conserve, enhance and celebrate the natural, industrial and cultural heritage of the Derwent Valley. There are now 14 projects being delivered until 2020, with many opportunities for local people, groups and organisations to get involved through a range of different activities.

 

For more information about the Partnership and opportunities to get involved go to their website.

Pansies and litter

October 19, 2016

Last Saturday our volunteers planted the winter bedding in the Trust’s tubs and planters.

This year we have planted multi coloured pansies instead of violas, which were not as successful as in previous years. Tete a Tete daffodils, iris and tulip bulbs have been planted too. The County Council will be planting up the barrier baskets to match.

If you would like to help tidy up the village, there is to be a litter pick and sweep up on the morning of Saturday 29th October. We are meeting in the car park next to the Golden Flower at 9.30am. Litter pickers, bags and hi-viz vests will be provided. Bring your own gloves and tools to cut down weeds and sweep paths.

Red white & blue

July 20, 2016

Despite not entering Northumbria in Bloom this year, the Trust’s tubs, barrier baskets and sustainable beds are looking colourful.

Thank you to all the volunteers who planted and maintain them. Thanks also to Durham County Council for planting the barrier baskets to match our colour scheme this year.

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Unveiling of the ‘new’ Pant

May 12, 2016

This lunchtime the replica of the Pant that originally stood at the corner of Front Street and Snows Green Road was “officially” unveiled by Durham County Council. Representatives from Storey Homes, Classic Masonry, Beamish Museum, the Stakeholder Group, the BBB&SB Partnership, Durham Police and the Village Trust were invited to the ceremony.

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It was the culmination of over four years commitment by the Village Trust, working in partnership with the Shotley Bridge Stakeholder Group, local councillors and officers from Durham County Council to bring to fruition a range of environmental improvement projects in the centre of the Shotley Bridge Conservation Area:

  • An enhanced lighting scheme
  • New paving on Front Street
  • New coping stones around the raised bed on Snows Green Road
  • Two additional parking bays on Cutler’s Hall Road
  • A new seating area
  • A replica drinking fountain
  • Demolition of a dilapidated bus shelter
  • Two new metal & glass bus shelters

These projects were prioritised by the Stakeholder Group, supported by Local Councillors Stephen Robinson and Peter Oliver and paid for with Section 106 funding from the Storey Homes Housing Development on the hospital site, with a contribution from the Public Transport budget and help from the Benfieldside, Blackhill, Bridgehill & Shotley Bridge Partnership.

See also the press report in the Northern Echo.

 

Spring Bedding in Bloom

April 15, 2016

Daffodils and tulips planted by the Trust were in full bloom this week in the conservation area, giving a colourful display. The violas are flowering too, which will hopefully give colour until the Trust’s volunteers plant up the tubs with summer bedding at the end of May.

Clean cut

April 5, 2016

This morning, eight volunteers of the Village Trust spent a couple of hours cutting back vegetation, clearing the stream and removing debris from the path.

Thanks to Carol, Jeff, Keith, John S, John W, Margaret, Richard & Sue for all their hard work. The Cut looks lovely & clean and the new bulbs and plants have made a big improvement.

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25 Bags of Litter

March 19, 2016

This morning 17 volunteers collected 25 bags of litter in & around Shotley Bridge.

Thank you to all those who helped to make the village cleaner.

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Big Spring Clean tomorrow

March 18, 2016

This year the Shotley Bridge annual spring litter pick, organised by the Trust, is being held on Saturday 19 March

Big Spring Clean 2016

Volunteers to meet at the Golden Flower car park in the village centre at 9.30am.

Gloves, bags, pickers and hi-viz vests will be provided, if you don’t have them.