North East Community Forest team, along with the Sheriff and Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Veronica Dunn and other representatives from Newcastle City Council and the Freemen of Newcastle launched the latest tree planting programme on the Town Moor.
The following news release was issued by Newcastle City Council:
“National Tree Week celebrates the wonderful world of trees and encourages more people in the area to get planting trees.
Queen’s Green Canopy
This ambitious project, which pays homage to the Queen’s Green Canopy: Plant a Tree for the Jubilee, will increase the tree population on Town Moor land by a total of 411 trees and 2,875 hedgerow plants, over 10 Town Moors by the end of the 2023 planting season (31 March 2023). It is planned to undertake many more tree planting projects on the Town Moors between the Freemen, Newcastle City Council, and the North East Community Forest Team in the near future.
Improving green spaces
Cllr Jane Byrne, Newcastle City Council’s Connect City Cabinet Member, said:
“The work of The North East Community Forest is key to creating more sustainable communities for the people of Newcastle and beyond.
“It is great that we are able to partner with the Freemen on this project which will have a positive impact on people’s health and wellbeing, create new habitats for wildlife, and help to improve air quality.”
David Wilson, Chair of the Freemen of Newcastle upon Tyne said:
“I am delighted to be partnering with the North East Community Forest to grow Newcastle’s urban forest on our latest planting project. Improving the city’s green spaces is a key priority for the Freeman and is vital for the health and wellbeing of the people who use them both now and into the future.”
Lloyd Jones, Forest Manager, North East Community Forest said:
“It brings me significant pleasure and excitement to be partnering with Newcastle City Council and the Freemen of Newcastle upon Tyne on this scheme. The project provides an opportunity to plant trees and hedgerows where most people live, work and travel, and will therefore bring a suite of co-benefits to our communities and urban wildlife”
Trees greatly benefit the people living around them by having a positive impact on mental health and wellbeing, reducing stress and encouraging outdoor exercise. This is in addition to the benefits they will receive from an improved environmental quality and improved amenity which comes with planted areas
Funding for the project is being provided via the North East Community Forest Trees for Climate grant with in-kind contributions provided by the Freemen. The tree planting across the 7 Town Moor sites this season will be a mix of urban greenspace planting, wood pasture, and fruit trees and all trees planted will be recognised as part of The Queens Green Canopy.
The above news story was issued by Newcastle City Council and is available to read on the Newcastle City Council website.It has been included here for information and does not necessarily represent the views of High West Jesmond Residents’ Association.
It’s been two years since our last AGM (the 2020 AGM falling victim to the pandemic) and during this time the Association has been a little less visible than normal as there have been no public meetings and only one newsletter.
However, our social media presence has continued as usual and behind the scenes HWJRA has continued to work with local authorities and stakeholders on various issues of concern to our local community.
HWJRA committee
I would like to record my thanks to the officers and committee who have served for the past two years.
The work is all voluntary and the time put in by officers and committee members is greatly appreciated – so thanks to Fiona Bruce, Jeffrey Fox, Andrew Jackson, Dawn Dunn, JohnStephenson, Ian Cavanagh, Katherine Shipley and Cornelia Moosman.
Thanks to FOVALD’s Lending a Hand group
I would also like to record particular thanks to John Stephenson and the Lending A Hand team who work so hard to keep the area’s green spaces clean, tidy and thriving.
This time of year in High West Jesmond is a particular delight with all the blossom and flowers on display and the Lending A Hand team, in combination with Mother Nature, play a significant part in keeping the area so beautiful.
Join HWJRA
We are always keen to expand membership so if you know of a local resident who isn’t a member then please do encourage them to join.
All they need to do is to email our membership secretary Jeffrey Fox with their name, contact details and address (which must be in High West Jesmond).
You can send a message to us through our Contact page on this website.
High West Jesmond during lockdown
COVID-19 response
It feels like a distant memory now, but at the very beginning of the pandemic there was a lot of uncertainty about what was going to happen and how people would go about their basic day-to-day lives.
A local volunteer group was established to assist people who were unable to get shopping or deal with routine matters and HWJRA distributed details to residents.
Our Facebook group (High West Jesmond Residents Association), website (highwestjesmond.co.uk) and Twitter feed (@highwestjesmond) have also proven to be useful for residents to keep in touch during a time when physical contact has been difficult.
North Shore coffee
As lockdown continued, our area became increasingly popular as a place for people to meet, have a chat, take exercise, and have a coffee.
It has been lovely to see the area’s green spaces put to such good use and the arrival of the North Shore Coffee van gave a particular focus to the Little Moor area.
Larger crowds have an impact on an area so HWJRA has worked hard to try to ensure a balance between promoting the area as a great place to live and visit, whilst maintaining the character of a quiet, leafy residential suburb.
We have liaised closely with Toby, who runs North Shore Coffee, to ensure that he does everything he can to enforce social distancing and to encourage residents to dispose of litter thoughtfully.
Toby has been responsive to all requests from the Association including providing additional bins and making plans (soon to be implemented) for re-turfing areas of grass that have been worn away by people queuing at the van.
The vast majority of feedback that the Association has received about the coffee van has been positive and we are pleased that the owner has been so pro-active and responsive to our requests.
Litter
Lockdown has seen a significant increase in usage of the Little Moor by dog walkers and people meeting for drinks and picnics.
Again, while this is welcome, the amount of waste this produces has had an impact.
We have liaised with the council on several occasions to get the frequency of bin emptying on Little Moor increased and the Lending A Hand team, along with several community-spirited residents, have been out on the green spaces collecting litter left behind by less thoughtful visitors.
Trees
We have maintained our strong links with Mark Todd and the team at Urban Green Newcastle who are responsible for managing the trees in the area.
Mark liaises with us when any remedial work is necessary on local trees such as recent pruning work. The trees are a great asset and we have found the Urban Green team very sympathetic to requests to maintain and, where appropriate, replace trees in our area.
City Fibre
In Autumn 2020, the area was fitted out with high-speed fibre optic cable by a company called City Fibre.
Whilst the addition of high-speed fibre cable is a positive thing for the area, we were concerned about the condition some of the pavements and green spaces had been left in after the fitting had occurred.
This was particularly the case with the ill-judged positioning of the cable boxes on Little Dene which were limiting access to the footpath.
Fortunately, we found the installation team at City Fibre to be responsive to our requests for remedial work to be done and the cable boxes have now been relocated and additional work to areas of road and pavement has been implemented.
Anti social behaviour
Without doubt, the biggest issue of concern to residents over this past year has been the unwelcome and very significant increase in anti-social behaviour.
Particular “hotspots” have been around the metro station (Albury Road/Honister Avenue/Ilford Road) and on the Little Moor and its allotments.
Gangs of youths have been causing damage to property, lighting fires, threatening residents and in a couple of extreme cases there has been physical violence against residents and allotment holders.
The Residents Association has good links with our community police team but as things got significantly worse in Spring 2021 we escalated matters and sought the involvement of our councillors (Henry Gallagher, Wendy Taylor and Karen Robinson), our Member of Parliament (Catherine McKinnell), our local police sergeant (Euan Faulke), the Neighbourhood Team at Newcastle City Council and (via Catherine McKinnell) the Chief Superintendent at Northumbria Police Centre Area Command (Sav Patsalos).
At time of writing (and with fingers firmly crossed) it looks like this escalation and higher-level involvement has been beneficial as the past 2-3 weeks has seen a significant increase in police presence and a reduction in the incidence of anti-social behaviour.
The police have made several interventions including dispersal orders, alcohol confiscation, arrests and follow-ups at local schools. We are very encouraged by this but want to ensure that this sort of activity continues and so will remain in close contact with the relevant authorities.
Local traffic and Streets for People
One area that has not progressed at all during lockdown is the Streets for People project.
Residents may recall that a lot of time was spent liaising with local people and the council to come up with some solutions to the problems of high-speed traffic on Ilford Road and Moorfield as well as excessive parking by commuters using the area as a car park.
The issue of parking has been much reduced during lockdown (though it may well reoccur once everything opens back up).
However, the issue of speeding traffic has not got any better and the Association has received several communications from residents about the increase in high-speed cars, vans and lorries in our area.
It’s disappointing that the previously promised interventions have now been postponed and that the council’s focus has been on other areas such as Jesmond and Heaton.
Whilst we understand that there will always be competing priorities in this area, we will continue to put pressure on the council to recognise the issues we have locally as they are not insignificant.
One issue that has proven controversial is the closure of several bridges during lockdown. The closest bridges to our area are Stoneyhurst Road and Castles Farm Road.
The Association has not got directly involved in the debate on either of these bridge closures as they are outside our area, however we have circulated information on the consultation and encouraged residents who feel strongly on the issue to respond to the council.
Committee 2021-22
During the past year, two committee members resigned as they moved away from the area (Katherine Shipley and Ian Cavanagh).
The following members of the committee have all agreed to stand again for 2021-22 – Fiona Bruce, Jeffrey Fox, Andrew Jackson, Dawn Dunn, John Stephenson, Cornelia Moosman.
The following people have put their names forward to serve on the committee also – Michael Hutchinson, Maureen McKenna, Victoria Nemeth.
Conclusion
It has been a very difficult year for many people, and we remain uncertain as to how long lockdown restrictions (in whatever form) will continue.
However, despite this, the Residents Association continues to function, and it has been able to ensure that, where necessary, interventions are made to safeguard and promote the local area and its residents.
Our finances remain in a sound position and our links with local authorities and stakeholders remain strong and positive.
We take great pride in the area we represent and live in and will continue to do so over the next 12 months.
Nick Moore Chair – High West Jesmond Residents’ Association May 2021
As many of you will be aware, the problem of anti-social behaviour in the area has got significantly worse in recent months.
Problems have included street fights, damage to vehicles, theft of bins (which are then set alight on the Little Moor), littering, fires in and damage to the allotments, general rowdy behaviour, and most concerning of all, physical attacks on residents near the allotments and Jesmond Dene.
HWJRA has spoken on many occasions with our Councillors, Council Officers, Community Police and Urban Green Newcastle officers to express our concern about what has been happening and to seek additional focus on the problem.
What you can do to help
HWJRA will continue to do all it can but as the light nights and warmer weather arrive there is a risk that things may escalate further so it would be extremely helpful if residents of High West Jesmond could do the following:
If you see something happening that genuinely merits reporting to the Police, then please do so. If it is a potentially violent or dangerous situation then call 999, if it is property damage or other less dangerous issues then use 101.
If you feel something is worth reporting to the Residents Association, then please do so using the following email address asb@highwestjesmond.co.uk. Please bear in mind that the Residents Association is run by volunteers who aim to promote the area and work on behalf of residents with local authorities. Our powers are limited to liaising with local agencies and officials rather than intervening in any anti-social behaviour.
Very importantly, we recommend storing rubbish bins in your back yard rather than in the back lane as a number of bins have been stolen from back lanes recently and set alight on the Little Moor – plus it makes the area much tidier.
Become a member of the High West Jesmond Residents’ Association (HWJRA). This will help us keep in touch with you and assist you to have your voice heard.
Join High West Jesmond Residents’ Association (HWJRA)
HWJRA is one of the most successful residents’ associations in Newcastle. There are approximately 600 households in our area and, from that, we have good representation.
That said, we would still like more members. It costs nothing to join and is by far the easiest way for you to keep in touch with local news and events, especially in the current climate where we all need to stay in touch.
If you live in our area and would like to join the association then all you need to do is send an email with your name, postal address and email address to our membership secretary, Jeffrey Fox.
You can send a message to us through our Contact page on this website.
Friends of the Valley and Little Dene Annual Report
Little Dene Park, High West Jesmond ready for visitors April 2020
2021 Committee Annual Report
Where do we start?
COVID-19, lockdown, local gatherings, police call-outs, fibre broadband rollout, graffiti, dumping – all have impacted on our local environment over the last 12 months, with the impact of COVID-19 likely to continue throughout 2021.
Despite the negatives, there are positives to take from 2020 – our trees, shrubs & bulbs all performed with their usual zest and spring and summer brought stunning backdrops on the Valley & in Little Dene Park, encouraging many residents to enjoy the local surroundings.
Although we don’t have user totals, there is little doubt that the number of residents making regular use of Little Dene Park and the Valley, as part of their regular exercise, has been, and remains, quite significant……therefore, we’ll start with the positives!
Splashes of colour in Little Dene Park, High West Jesmond – spring & summer 2020
Use of the Park & the Valley
The COVID-19 restrictions in early 2020 coincided with the regular appearance of a Coffee Van parked on Moorfield close to the junction with the Little Moor cycleway and opposite Little Dene Park.
As a consequence, the park, and its seats, became a place to meet not just for local residents but many people from other parts of Jesmond & Gosforth.
Throughout the spring and summer, all four seats were regularly occupied whilst families and other groups were frequently picnicking on the grass.
The popularity of the Park has continued into 2021.
It was noticeable that the seats in the Park were occupied by a wide range of people throughout the day, whereas the Valley, which is a much larger and less formal space, tends to attract dog walkers, early morning and mid afternoon, and, in general, young groups of people on summer lunchtimes and early evenings.
The numbers of young people relaxing on the Valley last year was considerable and good to see.
The rather “gloomy” nature of lockdown was relieved on a couple of occasions!
First of all by a group of Sandyford drummers using the Valley as an open-air practice venue and by a piper filling Little Dene Park with a few beautiful Scottish laments in late October.
The drumming may not be to everyone’s taste but the piper’s selection of tunes went down well with park users!
The piper was actually part of a celebration for a Little Dene resident! “Food for thought!”
With schools closed for long periods in 2020 and lockdown imposing restrictions on socialising, it was inevitable that some problems would occur when young people arranged to meet in outdoor locations.
The Little Moor, the edge of the Valley (next to the seat) and later the Little Dene, all became places where large numbers were frequently congregating.
Over a 3-4 month spell last summer the police received 47 complaints of anti-social behaviour in these locations in High West Jesmond. It became a hot-spot in the Northumbria Police area.
Over most of the summer the main implications for FOVALD of this activity were litter and disturbance to nearby residents.
With fairly regular intervention by the police, most of the daily litter was left next to litter bins.
However, with the seat on Lodore Road being so close to family houses, it became really difficult to prevent daily disturbance, from mid-afternoon to late evening.
Therefore, after consulting residents & Councillors it was decided to temporarily remove the seat, which we did in early August. Since its removal there has been no congregating & no disturbance to residents.
The attraction of the Valley, and its secluded spots, to the young people did result in some damage to one of the lime trees and eventually lead to them discovering the Little Dene.
There is an area in the middle of the Dene that is very secluded and this became another regular meeting place. Somehow a large sofa was manhandled in.
Whilst the vegetation was very badly trampled and the stream filled in at one spot to enable easy access to their meeting place, on the plus side, they did remove most of their litter. We unblocked the stream & removed the sofa in October.
It’s been very rare that, as a local organisation, we have had to report mis-use! There were two examples last year.
Graffiti was sprayed onto the main Little Dene Park path and onto one of the seats in November. Both were removed within 24 hours and, so far, no repeat has been experienced.
Also in autumn, a large volume of household items were dumped among the shrubbery in Little Dene Park. Thanks to David B for quickly sorting & disposing of the waste and to Cornelia for removing the paint from the seat.
Management & Maintenance
2020 was the third full year that the Lending a Hand Tuesday morning maintenance team has been operating.
In adjusting to the lockdown restrictions, members worked either individually or in pairs (whilst keeping socially distanced!). This practice is ongoing.
Although some new perennials & bi-annuals were introduced into Little Dene Park in spring (thanks to Rosalind H & Frank S for donating foxgloves & salvias!), much of the time during the summer was spent pruning, litter picking and responding to cases of misuse.
We did manage to obtain a commitment from the City Council’s Footpath Officer that finance to renew the park’s footpaths would be included as a priority in the 2020-21 budget. However, the impact of COVID 19 completely changed the City’s priorities.
We will need to pursue this as COVID-19 subsides, because the paths have deteriorated even further during this wet winter.
A bright spot last summer was the renovation of the Beecham seat, assisted by our group and paid for by the Beecham family. It means that all 4 park seats are now in excellent condition!
For several weeks in late summer, the Moorfield verges, including the entrance to the park, were hidden behind contractors’ temporary barriers as fibre cables were laid by City Fibre as part of the “super speed broadband” rollout!
Much to our surprise, when the barriers were removed, two green control boxes had been installed either side of the main path through the park. This had been done without any consultation.
After strong complaints from us and HWJRA, City Fibre agreed to relocate the boxes in more discreet locations.
That work has now been done but there remain several areas of the Moorfield verge, and the edges to the park, where the remedial work is completely unsatisfactory. We expect the company to carry out reinstatement work in the spring.
We suspect that we will have lost a good number of spring bulbs from the Moorfield verge where trenches were dug for the cables. The company has given a commitment to fund new bulbs before the autumn planting season.
The major piece of work carried each autumn by our team is, of course, leaf collection and composting. All the bagging last year was carried by a small squad of two, with David McG. shouldering the majority of the work!
120 large bags were filled and delivered to allotment customers, which generated £112 income. We receive excellent feedback regarding the quality of compost.
However, the work involved is time consuming and we think we need to find a more efficient delivery method for this year’s round.
Despite the limitations of lockdown, our Lending a Hand sessions managed to provide almost 50% more leaves than the previous autumn.
So, well done to those involved. Thanks to David B for creating an extra compost bay!
Wildlife
Our plan to put more focus on wildlife during 2020 was knocked of course! We feel that we have probably lost ground in our plans to strengthen the ecological value of the surrounds to the Valley & Little Dene Park and to the Little Dene itself.
Several of the wildlife refuges were disturbed or partially dismantled and, over the summer, large swathes of the Little Dene’s natural vegetation were regularly trampled over a 2-3 month period.
We received no reports of fox or hedgehog sightings last year and the only sighting of the “usual” sparrow hawk was early in the year.
Although bird boxes were not checked, it is assumed that the trees, shrubs & bushes, as well as the stream, continue to provide a good range of opportunities for feeding, nesting & roosting.
The last bird survey in 2016 indicated that there were at least 28 species present. Either 2021 or 2022 may be a good time to request another survey.
A range of butterflies were observed on the Valley but we made no progress with regard to identifying the types and number of bats.
2021-22
Our priorities in 2020 were:
1) to improve the footpaths in Little Dene Park;
2) provide notice boards on the Valley & in the park;
3) strengthen the wildlife corridor;
4) create a hedgehog friendly zone between the Valley and Rectory Road.
What a year! Sadly, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic we made no progress on any of these objectives, indeed the footpaths are probably worse and the wildlife corridor may have regressed.
Therefore, it is suggested that these two objectives, i.e. improving the Little Dene footpaths and repairing & strengthening the wildlife corridor should be our primary objectives for the coming 12-24 months, with the notice board and hedgehog friendly zone more secondary objectives.
Committee of Friends of the Valley and Little Dene
March 2021
Urban Green Newcastle is to carry out works to several trees along Moorfield.
Urban Green Newcastle is the body that manages public parks and allotments in Newcastle upon Tyne.
The work will involve four salix (willow) trees as well as prunus:
two Willows will be removed as the lower cavities are showing disease;
two Willows will be cut down to a height of around 8 to 10 feet, below the limbs to allow new growth to develop; and
the Prunus at the main gate (to the Little Moor Allotments) will only be lifted off the highway and a few limbs inside the allotments removed.
HWJRA engagement with Allotment Officer
High West Jesmond Residents Association (HWJRA) has engaged with the allotments officer and we have been informed that he will be looking at replacement trees later in the year.
Letter from Urban Green Newcastle
Please see below a letter from Mark Todd (the allotments officer at Urban Green Newcastle) advising of the need to remove/cut back some trees on Moorfield with work scheduled for next week:
Friends of the Valley and Little Dene Annual Report
2019 Committee Annual Report
Well, believe it or not, this is our 10th Annual Report and it is 17 years since we produced our first attempt at an Action Plan for the Valley & the Little Dene!
Plans & actions can produce rewards.
I mention this because this year’s daffodil display on the Valley, referred to by several residents recently, is the direct result of the bulb planting schemes carried out in 2011, 2012 & 2013, that involved some 50 local residents, including students, who brought bulbs along.
Over 4,000 bulbs were planted and, of course, they will now have multiplied! That was a real community effort and the spring displays are the reward!
Some of the 4,000+ daffodils on the Valley, High West Jesmond planted by residents
What’s been happening in the last 12 months?
The year started on a really positive note with our MP, Catherine McKinnell unveiling the reinstated plaque in Little Dene Park but it finished with something of a damp squib, as our attempt to obtain funding for the resurfacing of the paths in the park came unstuck!
In between, there was still quite a lot going on.
Management & Maintenance
Our Tuesday morning group, Lending a Hand, has some 15 regulars, with the average weekly attendance being 7-8 residents.
Throughout 2019 there were 7 sessions when holidays or weather intervened, which meant that 45 sessions were held.
At an average of 2.5 hours per session per person, that means that the group contributed nearly 850 voluntary hours during 2019.
That was spent in Little Dene Park, in the Little Dene itself, on the surrounds to the Valley, looking after the verge on Moorfield, looking after the small open spaces where Moorfield meets the Great North Road & edging the paths on the Little Moor.
In effect, we look after all of the public open spaces surrounding High West Jesmond and we continue to recycle virtually 100% of material that we collect.
Highlights
Some of the highlights of the year, in no particular order, were as follows:
Gill D prepared a yearly Maintenance Plan for the group, which, after discussion was adjusted & adopted. It catalogues the tasks by area or street and seasons, as well as setting out some of our longer term plans & ambitions. Thank you to Gill!
Pruning the vegetation in the north east corner of the Valley in March revealed the remains of a stone wall that probably marked the boundary between the original Craghall Dene and the land to the north. The boundary appears on the earliest 19C maps. At that time the land to the north was farmland owned by a Mr George Dunn, who lived in Berkshire, and was farmed by the Brewis family from South Gosforth farm. It was subsequently used as allotments before being sold for housing.
A spring clean in theLittle Dene in early April involved removing any potentially contaminated material from the stream bed, so that as much stream life as possible is encouraged. The stream appears to be very healthy. In addition, a substantial wildlife shelter was reinforced. We were careful not to disturb a mallard duck that appeared to be looking for a nesting spot.
Little Dene Park was spruced up during May & June with some summer bedding, path edging and shrub pruning, all to ensure that the park looked it’s best for the July event.
The school holidays in August brought much reduced parking along Moorfield, which meant we were able to tackle the kerbstones next to the verge. They were completely grassed over in places, which was resulting in drivers damaging the verge when parking. Exposing the whole kerb appears to have reduced damage to the verge and improved the appearance of Moorfield.
September heralded spring bulb purchase & planting, particularly in, and adjacent to, Little Dene Park. In addition, the Committee started to investigate the provision of notice boards for the Valley and Little Dene Park. This project remains ongoing.
Autumn is always a very busy season. The compost enclosures have to be cleared before the current season’s leaves can be brought in. In October 2019, approx 130 bags of leaf mould were filled, sold & transported to the allotments by the Tuesday group. This was treble the volume of leaf compost produced in 2018. Leaf collection in October & November was hampered by the wet weather on occasions, which may reduce the volume of compost available later this year.
A serious issue in Little Dene Park is the condition of the footpaths. In our view, they are dangerous. Responsibility rests with the City Council but lack of finance is constraining the authority’s scope to upgrade the paths. Our attempt to raise funds on their behalf, through a Government Programme, stalled because the City was not able to extend our Open Spaces Adoption Agreement to include Little Dene Park. However, repairing the paths is a top priority.
Use of the Park & the Valley
Summer Happening on Little Dene Park, High West Jesmond – view from Gill’s plant & veg stall
Perhaps the highlight of the year was the “Summer Happening” on Little Dene Park in July.
A last minute decision to postpone for 24 hours by our chairperson proved to be a masterstroke – we avoided our customary rain!!
With a background of folksy music played by the Tom’s Saloon Ukulele Band, residents were invited to sample homemade baking, purchase home grown plants, have a drink & a chat, play games and talk to FOVALD & HWJRA reps about what each organisation does.
It was a very positive & successful afternoon. We had good feedback and must thank everybody who contributed, particularly Cath S & Cornelia M and all the scone & lemonade makers! The event was well attended and improved our bank balance!
Little Dene Park remains a very well used space.
It is, predominantly, a small green oasis that residents, families & schoolchildren pass through. However, the quality of the experience encourages many, on fine days, to stop and relax, absorbing the calmness that the environment exudes.
It is interesting that misuse is extremely rare! The pedestrian count planned for the summer 2019 is now scheduled for 2020 (or perhaps 2021!).
A relaxing time in Little Dene Park, High West Jesmond
The Valley remains a haven for dog walkers. It’s peaceful and relatively sheltered location is obviously popular with dog owners as well as the canines themselves, as that “community” seems to be growing! It does have the benefit of increasing social connections.
Whilst there are some concerns that the number of dogs can discourage other residents & families from using the Valley for a range of activities, last summer saw several groups/families playing with footballs and rugby balls and having picnics with young children.
The lack of a snowfall precluded sledging on the Valley in 2019.
Wildlife
We continued to use pruned branches and windfall from all trees/bushes in High West Jesmond to create wildlife shelters, in Little Dene Park, in Little Dene itself and on the Valley.
Some of these are now quite well established and, hopefully, will be providing a base for many insects and small mammals.
In addition, the natural vegetation on the north edge of the Valley is pushing further into the grassed area, creating a much better habitat for wildlife and helping to re-establish the wildlife corridor linking the Moor to the Ouseburn.
Squirrels (grey variety unfortunately) are frequently seen and hedgehogs have been reported in two gardens bordering the Valley.
We would like to make the north & western edges of the Valley, and the adjacent Rectory Road gardens, a “Hedgehog Friendly” area during 2020.
Initial discussions with residents proved positive. Bats have also been reported but an attempt to video one of them didn’t quite get the speed right. Watch this space!!
Foxes footprints have been seen in gardens next to the Little Dene but no sightings this winter.
Several residents have heard woodpeckers recently, a tree creeper has been spotted on the Valley and a sparrow hawk has put in an appearance in December. Let’s hope the latter may be nesting again.
A range of butterflies were spotted in 2019, including a Common Blue, Red Admiral & Painted Lady!
2020-21?
Our identified priorities are:
i) improving the Little Dene Park footpaths;
ii) providing noticeboards on the Valley & Little Dene Park;
iii) strengthening the wildlife corridor; and
iv) creating a “hedgehog friendly” area.
However, the spread of the Coronavirus COVID-19 has suddenly made the world much smaller and life more precarious!
Eliminating that problem may well mean that our plans for further improving our local environment will have to be put on hold for some time.
A piece of good news received recently is that we have been awarded £1,000 by the City Council’s Ward Committee to acquire and plant more bushes & trees on the Valley during 2020-21. Let’s hope we can spend it!
Gone but not forgotten
We end on a sad note.
Bob Curry, the former chairperson of HWJRA passed away last month after a long illness. Bob was a keen environmentalist and ornithologist.
During his spell as chair of HWJRA, he negotiated a significant grant to provide more under-storey planting, mainly hollies, but also including wildflower plugs, in the Little Dene. That was 10 years ago and was referred to in our first Annual Report.
The hollies are slowly making progress and some of the wildflowers, particularly primroses, are now well established and make their contribution each spring!
So, thank you for your contribution Bob, it will last for years to come.
Primroses in the Little Dene, High West Jesmond – first planted in 2010
Committee of Friends of the Valley and Little Dene
March 2020
Fortunately, we found the installation team at City Fibre to be responsive to our requests for remedial work to be done and the cable boxes have now been relocated and additional work to areas of road and pavement has been implemented.
