Thanks to volunteers from High West Jesmond residents the enhancements to some of the paths in our community are quite startling!
Parts of the tarmac path on the Little Moor that probably hadn’t seen daylight for 20 years was exposed from the community work this morning. We completed the section from Moorfield up to the junction with the main Little Moor footpath-cycleway. We’ll start the section across to the Great North Road next.
Interested in helping out – please join us!
The next session is at 0930 on Tuesday 11 April, meeting on the Little Moor path. If there are any more residents or FOVALD (Friends of teh Valley and Little Dene) supporters who would like to lend a hand, then please come along and grab a brush, spade, shovel or wheelbarrow. It’s good fun, good exercise and makes a significant contribution to the appearance of our community.
Noticed an improvement to the edging of some of the paths in High West Jesmond?
It’s all down to the voluntary work of some of our residents – read on and find out how they have been ‘Lending a Hand’.
Hi – a short note to say thanks a lot for helping out this morning. We ended up with 11 on the day – a few more than I expected!
A group of local residents have got together to enhance the condition of some of the paths that run across our community. There were 11 volunteers in total on the first morning.
The work was quite physical and “clarty” and an hour and a half’s work was probably enough for everybody for the first morning. We completed approximately half the length of the Moorfield footpath running alongside the allotments. The plan is to complete the rest of it next Tuesday.
The ground was very wet this morning which probably slowed things down a bit (plus we were all on a learning curve!). The consequence was that the footpath was difficult to clean and the edge could do with some more straightening. So, if it remains fine this week, we’ll spend some time on Friday morning cleaning up a bit.
Photo above is after the work, and the photo below is what it looked like before we started.
Thanks very much everyone for your hard work and volunteering your time and thanks to Sarah for the great coffee which was much appreciated by the Lending a Hand team (otherwise known as the HWJ Enviro Team).
Friends of the Valley and Little Dene Annual Report
2016 Committee Annual Report
Compared to 2015, which we celebrated as the centenary of the first use of the Valley by residents of High West Jesmond, we decided that 2016 should be a quieter year.
Council rejects our application for Village Green status
Our only event in the summer attracted more rain clouds than customers and in October we received an official letter from Newcastle City Council (who itself was the only objector against our application) informing us that following review by Newcastle City Council our application for Village Green status had been rejected – 2 years and 4 months after it was submitted!
Despite all the hard work of the High West Jesmond community we decided not to appeal.
The Landscape
Despite this, the Valley bloomed as usual.
Snowdrops – looking towards Lodore Road, High West Jesmond
Loads of snowdrops (2017 versions out now!), followed by all the daffodils in the spring and the wildflowers later in the summer.
The “field maples” continue to grow and extend the colour show every autumn; no obvious signs of “ash die-back” have been spotted; fruit trees, and a couple of “lime tree whips”, have been introduced along the northern edge (thanks to Frank S and Jon R).
In the Little Dene, the holly & hawthorn understory is growing very slowly but the fallen ash trees help to provide a protective environment for insects and small mammals.
In the summer months the Dene is almost impenetrable for us humans!
Wildlife
Our 4th bird survey was carried out on 9 May 2016 – and proved to be the most productive.
A total of 22 separate species were recorded, including goldfinch, goldcrest, dunnock, blackcap, chiffchaff, coal tit, great tit and blue tit to name but a few!
The report suggested ways to further improve the Little Dene and the Valley surrounds for the bird population. Minimising disturbance is always beneficial.
Several bird boxes have been placed on trees on the edge of the Little Dene and there are 1/2 bird feeders close to the Valley (thanks to Paul W for making them and Frank S for placing them!).
Apart from finding a dead male fox inside a hollow tree trunk early in 2016, we had no reports of foxes having been seen on the Valley or in the Dene.
However, grey squirrels remain present, no doubt attracted by the abundance of hazel nuts! The other sad note to report was the finding of a deceased hedgehog in the middle of the Valley. Let’s hope that some are still surviving in the Valley surrounds and gardens.
Works on the Valley
The “hollow” in the centre of the Valley showed signs of further deepening last summer. After fencing it off for a couple of months, the Council deemed it safe and filled it with topsoil – so, it’s a “hollow” no more!
Maintenance work on the culvert underneath the Valley also meant that a chunk of the Valley next to Newlands Road was used as a site compound for several weeks in October. The work was successfully completed.
Use of the Valley
The only event that was promoted, the Hog Roast, was sadly a wash-out. However, those that did attend received good value for money –“ plenty of pork in the butty”!
A big thank you to the usual band of helpers, plus the individuals and organisations that supplied equipment.
The Valley appears to be attracting more dog walkers – either because more people have dogs or because it’s just a popular venue for dog walking or perhaps both! In terms of community connections that’s probably a good thing, but, on the other hand, dogs and wildlife are not the best partners.
The honesty plants (lunnaria annua) that emerged after the daffodils along Newlands Road. A sprinkling from Mother Nature or a resident’s packet of seeds?
The Valley remains reasonably well used by students, young people and children during the warmer months. It would probably be helpful to quantify usage by carrying out a usage survey in 2017.
The Valley remains a much used and valued community open green space that we all agree must remain available for use of the community.
Committee of Friends of the Valley and Little Dene
December 2016
A short video has been issued by Newcastle City Council cabinet member for Investment and Development Cllr Ged Bell where he explains that the council has pulled its controversial plans to build a large motorway style roundabout to replace the existing Blue House Roundabout in High West Jesmond.
High West Jesmond Residents’ Association welcomes the news that the couincil has withdrawn its plans which was overwhelmingly opposed by High West Jesmond residents.
Residents, commuters and other local stakeholders were strongly opposed the building on the Town Moor and did not feel that the proposals had been sufficiently well thought through before they were originally published.
Complete opposition from all sides to council plans
Today residents’ associations in High West Jesmond, Jesmond and Admirals 5 (Matthew Bank) held a meeting and agreed to unite in their complete opposition to the proposed plans put forward by Newcastle City Council for revised road layouts and junctions around Blue House Roundabout and Jesmond Dene Road.
99% of respondents all all 3 MPs opposed
Residents, businesses, motorists, cyclists, pedestrians, environmental organisations, local and national road traffic organisations, 99% of all respondents on the council’s own consultation website, all 3 local MP’s and the majority of local ward councillors are all unanimous in their rejection of the proposed plans for Blue House Roundabout/Jesmond Dene Road.
Council must now listen
The feedback has been of a high quality, constructive and very clear. The council must now listen to this feedback.
We therefore call on the council to:
immediately shelve their plans for Blue House roundabout/Jesmond Dene Road;
scrap their plans for a revised proposal to be presented in mid- September as this simply will not allow enough time for feedback to be properly evaluated; and
restart the whole process, engaging in proper, meaningful consultation with local residents, businesses and interest groups to ensure that the needs and wishes of all local stakeholders are properly taken into account before any future proposal is put forward for consideration.
Almost 2,000 residents attended march to oppose Blue House Roundabout plans
The weekend march for the Town Moor received front page coverage in the Newcastle Journal today (and you can read the article on ChronicleLive) following the overwhelming show of opposition by the local community to the council road building plans for Blue House Roundabout and Jesmond Dene Road.
This follows coverage on Sunday’s BBC Look North evening news programme on BBCOne with local news coverage on ITV Tyne Tees News as well.
Nick Moore, of the High West Jesmond Residents’ Association, said:
“We are delighted to see such a cross section of people come out and show support for this campaign.
“The council have no option but to scrap this plan, they need a complete rethink.”
