A new nature reserve is set to be created on the site of a former County Durham surface mine after regional employer Banks Mining agreed the donation of the land and funds for its long-term management with Durham Wildlife Trust.
Banks Mining operated the Bradley surface mine, which sits between Leadgate and Dipton, between 2018 and 2020 before carrying out a full restoration of the site through the following year.
The family-owned firm has gifted the 21-hectare site to the Trust, which will turn it into a new nature reserve that will be called Billingside Meadows.
A £127,000 fund has been created by Banks for Durham Wildlife Trust to help ensure the newly-created reserve provides a successful environment for nature to flourish and visitors to enjoy into the future. This will be supplemented by ongoing annual support to Durham Wildlife Trust for a further seven years.
The Trust will bring in Exmoor ponies and native cattle to graze the area, in order to help create a varied plant structure that will support a mix of wildflowers and invertebrates.
The Trust is now looking to increase the number of local volunteers who want to assist with the creation of the new reserve.
Banks Mining has restored every single one of the 120 surface mine sites that it operated across northern England and Scotland over a 49-year period, and has planted more than 1.7 million trees as part of this work.
Last year, Banks Mining invited local schools, charities and community groups to take part in the creation of the new 18-hectare new Pontop Valley Woodland on the Bradley site, with around 36,000 new trees and shrubs being planted over a three-month period and new footpaths being put in place to help maximise public access to the site.
Louise Harrison of Banks Mining says: “Many of our former surface mines have been transformed into well-used community resources over the last four decades as part of the restoration work we’ve carried out, and we’re excited to be adding the former Bradley site to this number.
“Billingside Meadows will be a wonderful place for people to walk, play or just spend time, and Durham Wildlife Trust’s expertise and dedication, along with the enthusiasm of their volunteer team, makes them the ideal partner to deliver something really special.
“We’re very pleased to be extending our longstanding relationship with Durham Wildlife Trust and look forward to continuing to work with them in the future.”
Durham Wildlife Trust manages more than 50 nature reserves between the Tees and the Tyne, and is continuing to acquire new reserves, helping nature to recover across the landscape and bringing wildlife into the heart of the region’s towns and cities.
Andrew Wadds, reserves manager for Durham Wildlife Trust, adds: “We are pleased to be able to launch the new Billingside Meadows nature reserve and look forward to working alongside our volunteers to further restore the site for nature.
“Located between Dipton and Leadgate, the reserve comprises of grasslands, wetlands and mixed scrub, along with a number of accessible footpaths.
“Visitors can expect to see birds such as lapwing and skylark, which breed on the open grasslands, plus a range of dabbling ducks on the ponds throughout the year.
“The Trust will be using its Exmoor ponies and native cattle to graze the area, creating a varied plant structure which will support a mix of wildflowers and invertebrates.
“Our work for wildlife is made possible thanks to fantastic support from our members and volunteers, and we hope that more people who enjoy this wild space might get involved in what we do.”
For further information on volunteering opportunities with Durham Wildlife Trust, please visit https://www.durhamwt.com/