A £5.7m project to protect the environment in County Durham has delivered major sewer upgrades to reduce the risk of pollution.
Northumbrian Water has renewed 1,000 metres of existing sewer pipeline near New Coundon, on the outskirts of Bishop Auckland.
The project, on land to the west of the A688, including in the eastern reaches of Auckland Park, has also involved adding storage to the sewer network and diverting its course away from the Coundon Burn.
The project was delivered by Northumbrian Water’s partner, Esh-Stantec, and has involved careful planning and methods of working to deliver the work in ways that protect the setting and ecological importance of the park.
This has included creating tunnels, through which pipes have been passed beneath the ground, to avoid the need for digging trenches to lay the new pipework.
Completion of the sewer renewal has been followed by the start of reinstatement of the working area, including removal of the temporary access tracks that were required for the duration of the project.
A pipe bridge that crossed the burn will also be removed, helping to further improve the landscape.
This reinstatement work is expected to complete in Spring and Summer 2026, as weather and ground conditions allow.
Luke Willis-Lavery, Northumbrian Water’s Project Manager, said: “This important investment will deliver environmental protection to the burn and surrounding landscape, including Auckland Park. We’d like to thank The Auckland Project and neighbouring landowners for their support and cooperation in enabling us to deliver this work, and for putting their trust in us to deliver the project in an environmentally sensitive way.”