A place for...
thriving wildlife
A place to...
grow your own
A place for...
quiet contemplation
A place for...
community involvement
igloo is exploring how it can help curate an area of brownfield land at the mouth of the Ouseburn to create an Ouseburn Wildlife Garden.
With the aim of complementing and enhancing the Ouseburn Wildlife Corridor, igloo plans to introduce native species and employ a maintenance routine that will protect and preserve wildlife.
It is intended that igloo invest in the initial work to enhance the biodiversity of the site with a community trust set up for the Malmo and Spillers Quay developments helping maintain the garden and ensure it has a lasting, positive impact on the area.
The Site
The site is a small parcel of mown grassland located close to the mouth of the river Ouseburn. The site is currently vacant and fenced-off, with no clear established planning use. The Free Trade Inn, The Tyne Bar and an aparthotel are located close to the boundary of the site. The area in which the site is located falls within the Ouseburn Wildlife Corridor.
Location for Nature
The Lower Ouseburn Valley Conservation Area Character Statement (2004) identifies, “Improvement of wildlife habitats and links” as an enhancement opportunity for the area where the site is located.
Habitat for Nature
The Wildlife Garden will need planning permission and to achieve a minimum biodiversity net gain (BNG) of 10%. An ecologist (based on the scenario of achieving a 14% BNG improvement) has recommended:
-
13 Trees
-
800 m² of grassland (wildflower meadow habitat)
-
700 m² of scrub planting
-
120 m² of developed land (i.e. pathways and hardstanding areas)
The Ouseburn Wildlife Garden’s key objective is to be a nature led space. This means giving space for nature to thrive, planting locally appropriate species, and linking with other local habitats.
We also want the Ouseburn Wildlife Garden to be a place that can be enjoyed by people, while remaining nature-focused. We are exploring the possibility of creating a place that protects and preserves the site, but that can also offer:
Wellbeing – a place that provides respite and relaxation, where people can enjoy nature.
Growing Spaces – areas available for people to cultivate and grow.
Heritage – installations or materials that acknowledge and inform about local heritage.
Our approach is to balance a nature led site that is supported by and driven by local community input.
Developing our shared Concept:
The wildlife garden’s key purpose is to complement and enhance the Ouseburn Wildlife Corridor by being a nature led space. This will be achieved with the planting of native species, including bushes and grassland, with a maintenance plan that is focused on the protection and preservation of nature and wildlife.
1. Three character areas are established which blend together to create the nature and community aspects of the garden.
2. Informal pathways through the site are sensitively opened up to allow access to the Ouseburn community. Accessible areas are created in the lowest, most level part of the site.
3. ‘Community spots’ are created throughout the site. These spots have the potential to be developed over time by the community to provide spaces to grow food, play, socialise and create. The Tyne Bar beer garden will remain in its current location. It is intended that igloo invest in the initial work to enhance the biodiversity of the site. Following this, a community trust set up for the Malmo and Spillers Quay developments will help maintain the garden and ensure it has a lasting, positive impact on the area.
4. This is our developing concept that balances space for nature and community: A mix of growing spaces, places to create and socialise, retreats for wellbeing, and space for a wilder connection to nature.
Creating Ouseburn Wildlife Garden with you
Community involvement is central to the vision of creating the Ouseburn Wildlife Garden. Surrounding communities are invited to play a role in curating and preserving the garden, enabling access but protecting nature.
Involvement could be at individual level, or with local organisations / businesses and might include:
-
Educational events – moth watch, bird watch and other activities that engage people in the beauty of nature. This could even be combined with maintenance events like scything of the grassland to ensure we optimise this natural space.
-
Linking with other sites, which might be part of a wider ecological project, and could include activities like recording wildlife.
-
Volunteering – with lots of roles needed covering maintaining the site and enabling access.
-
Membership structures – we could explore membership for growing spaces and respite areas, similar to renting an allotment. Payment could be cash or ‘in kind’ through volunteering work.
Have your say
We want to create a place that can be enjoyed by people, while remaining nature-focused.
At PfP igloo, building sustainable, thriving communities is the lifeblood of our organisation.
We care about the planet. About nature. And about the communities we shape.
Development can be a force for good… it created the homes we live in, the coffee shops we relax in, and the workplaces we produce great things in.
The best developments create more than just buildings though… they create communities with shared goals and visions, bringing together people from all walks of life in cooperative partnerships, who all value the same things.
We have already delivered some great schemes in Ouseburn – The Malings and Lower Steenbergs Yard - that we are proud have delivered cohesive communities and our ambition is to bring further brownfield sites back into use in the area, with a scheme for Malmo and Spillers Quay submitted for planning, and a small scheme close to Malings currently being designed.
We’re hopeful that our ideas for an Ouseburn Wildlife Garden on this site will complement the residential communities we have already helped establish in the area, creating a place where people – and nature – thrive.
