Ouseburn Way – Downhill from here?

 

An initiative has been launched that plans to regenerate the entire length of the Ouseburn. This initiative is supposedly sponsored by the Reese Foundation who have a website with details of their plan and a video here. (off site link)

The Reese Foundation gave a presentation to the Natural History Society of Northumbria (NHSN) on 13th January 2024. NHSN supports the Reece Foundation's 'vision' for the Ouseburn Way.

I attended this meeting. I concluded that Reece are sincere but that the scheme a.k.a. Ouseburn Way fits into a pattern that Newcastle (and North Tyneside Council) are keen to expand over green space:  Housing.

In a communication that I had before the meeting of the N.H.S.N. I wrote:–

'... my experience of Newcastle City Council’s public consultation is negative (pace the Leazes Park scandal of last century). As I understand it, the City Stadium site that I have devoted much time to recording on my blog, has no Statutory designation. When Newcastle City Council applied for National Lottery grants for the route of the Ouseburn through Armstrong and Heaton Parks the City Stadium was excluded. There were plans on the table in 1997-8 to convert the Stadium site into (variously)  a car park (1300 spaces!) and then a sports complex for students. During one viewing of these public plans of the City Stadium site as it then existed, it was described to me by a P.R. agent as ’threatening’ – a ploy used with some success against Leazes Park.

Much of what the Ouseburn from Haddrick’s Mill down to the Tyne has arisen through local initiative or that great ally of Nature, neglect. The chief issue is the water quality. Since this is the responsibility of a foreign owned water business with only a fiduciary duty to its shareholders I see this as an Achilles heel for the promoters of the scheme. Other factors are a lack of husbandry and litter – I do a small amount when I can. New exercise equipment and furniture rapidly disappeared beneath graffiti.

Newcastle City Council (a series of Russian dolls in truth) are irredeemably corporatist and well matched to the theme park approach ably set out in the [Reece Foundation] video. I judge this to be a way to entice property developers to brick in the upper Ouseburn even beyond current plans; the character of the Lower Ouseburn has been lost through greed. The interest in wildlife is pure Disney-dressing.'

Tidying up the Ouseburn and giving this water course a 'branding' is way to attract house builders and increase property values and Council Tax receipts for two cash strapped local authorities. Reece may think they can play the Councils' but my thoughts are entirely 180 degrees opposite.

A public meeting has been called to discuss the less than obvious implications of these proposals further.