Local Project

A Local Project

Local Project

There was once a hedge which ran alongside the cut between Victoria Terrace and Front Street, unfortunately despite assurances form the developer, Concrete Force, that the hedge and nearby trees would be preserved considerable chunks of the existing hedge were cut out by the subcontractors who erected the scaffolding, Concrete Force, were full of assurances that these would be replaced.

Concrete Force then went out of business.

Subsequently the rest of the hedge was removed and replace by a rather large, ugly, plain fence.

This amounted to quite a loss of amenity in a conservation area, the more so because of the birds and small mammals which used this hedge and adjacent trees as a food and home building resource.

The new developer proved to be slippery, elusive and generally not interested. A group of local residents then organised themselves to help. Assistance and advice was sought from the South Tyneside Conservation Volunteers and the Countryside Officer of the Local Authority. This was enthusiastically given. The latter then departed for pastures new so the volunteers proposed to fence off an area of 39ft by 4ft to accommodate a new hedge in the manner of the new planting at Tile Sheds and Colliery Wood.

The volunteers then obtained a licence from the Local Authority to go ahead and you can see the results in the pictures in the album "Local Project" Unfortunately the organisers had to pay £1 for the licence and fee of £100 for the preparation of the licence.