Wynyard Woodland Park - Green Infrastructure Case Study Managing future development by investing in green infrastructure - Natural England ...
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Wynyard Woodland Park
Green Infrastructure Case Study
Managing future development by investing in green infrastructure
Wynyard Woodland Park shows how green infrastructure can be Key facts:
used to effectively manage increased demand for green space in
urban areas. It is an innovative example of how to turn the journey Size of green infrastructure
to the park itself into part of the outdoor recreation experience, created or enhanced:
while not only protecting but enhancing biodiversity through 180 ha (445 acres)
Size of BAP habitat created:
habitat creation for Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) priority species. 10 ha (25 acres)
Length of improved access
Snapshot routes: 2.75km
Total cost of project: £176,888
Key partners for Wynyard
Number of visitors to the park has increased by 100,000 Woodland Park include
since 2010/11 Stockton-on-Tees
More than 50 percent of visitors to the park say that they go Borough Council, Forestry
there to exercise Commission, Durham Tees
Valley Probation Trust, SITA
At Pickard’s Meadow, 10 ha of lowland meadow has been Environment Trust, Natural
created contributing 100 percent to the local BAP target for England, Wildflower Ark,
lowland meadow creation and 20 percent of the regional target Wynyard Environmental
Revenue taken at the park’s visitor shop has increased from Trust, Tees Valley Wildlife
Trust, Sustrans and
£11,800 in 2009/10 to £22,600 in 2010/11 National Grid
Key environmental
functions:
Improving connectivity to
other green spaces
Providing opportunities
for recreation
Promoting sustainable
transport
Improving conservation
and biodiversity
© Dave Charnley
A cyclist benefiting from the park’s enhanced cycleways
Introduction Osborne Park
Wynyard WoodlandWynyard Park is a prime countryside gateway site in the north of Stockton, providing
links to Sedgefield, Hartlepool and beyond. There are an estimated 35,000 households within
a 5km radius of the park and in 2009/10, it received more than 175,000 visitors. This figure
rose following proposed developments to the park’s planetarium, visitor centre and recently
cle Route
constructed flagship play area. The site was identified in the Tees Valley Green Infrastructure
Castle Eden Walkway RIVE
Strategy as facing considerable change.
R TE ES
8 Bridges Cy
North Tees Nature Park
Dene LNR
ewham Wynyard
GrangeWoodland
Park Park
Alreadyemanaged
ck for conservation, recreation and education, Stockton-on-Tees Borough
B Northern Gateway
Councilm recognised that access to the park could also be managed sustainably over time through
ru
Osborne Park
ks
new and improved green infrastructure. The aim was to enhance the park’s connectivity to its
st
Lu
Cy
Green Blue Heart
surrounding catchments.
North Shore Principal among these connections would be a cycle and footpath
cl e
network at the south of the site to provide an uninterrupted link with the residential areas of
Ro
ute
to
Stockton. This wouldTees help achieve a strategic goal of establishing a continuous green corridor
Barrage
cle Route
Route Hardwick
through the borough all the way to Preston Park and Ingleby Barwick by summer 2013 with the RIVE
R TE ES
completion of the South Stockton Greenway.
8 Bridges Cy
Hardwick Dene LNR
Newham Grange Park
rick Ponds & Six Fields ec
k
The project was delivered by a partnership of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, Forestry
B Northern Gateway
5P
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ar k
ru
Commission, Durham Tees Valley ProbationGreen Trust, SITA Environment Trust, Natural England,
st
sC
Bowesfield North
Lu
Blue Heart
yc
North Shore
Wildflower Ark, Wynyard Environmental Trust, Tees Valley Wildlife Trust, Sustrans and the
le
Ro
Killin
Greens ghall Grove
ute
National LaGrid.
ne Cyc It to is a key strategic priority in both the Tees Valley and Stockton-On-Tees Green
5
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P a Ro
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rk ut
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e
Infrastructure Strategies, and complements the borough’s Green Infrastructure Action Plan.
s e
Stockton on Tees Green Infrastructure
Strategy Action Plan Priorities 2010-2013
Preston
on Farm Wetlands Brick Ponds & Six Fields
ngt
arli
to D oute
R
cl e Bowesfield North
5
Cy
Tees Heritage Park
P a Ro
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Wynyard
rk ut
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s e
Preston Farm Wetlands
Castle Eden Walkway
North Tees Nature Park
Wynyard Woodland Park
Tees Heritage Park
Osborne Park
e Route
Hardwick
RIVE
8 Bridges Cycl
R TE ES
Hardwick Dene LNR
Newham Grange Park
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Be Northern Gateway
5P
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Green Blue Heart
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North Shore
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Greens ghall Grove
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© Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
ute n
an
ro t o
Preston Farm Wetlands
ng f S u
)
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to ecti cl l L
(S Cy il
Da o n e
M
Tees Heritage Park
Prepared by Natural England
Key
Key
Project Area
Project Area
RIVE
R TEE
Indicative Project
ProjectArea
S
Indicative Area
Cycle Route Project
Cycle Route Project
Outside Borough Boundary
Outside Borough Boundary
Development & Neighbourhood Services This map is reproduced from Ordnance Survey material
Corporate Director: P Dobson with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of
the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office.
Development & Neighbourhood
Head of Direct Services: JServices
Key
This map is©reproduced
Crown copyright. from Ordnance Survey material
McCann
Project Area
Corporate Director: P Dobson
Stirling House, Tedder Avenue, with the permission
Unauthorised ofreproduction
Ordnanceinfringes
Survey on behalf
Crown copyrightof Indicative Project Area
Thornaby, Stockton on Tees TS17 9JP and of
the Controller mayHer
leadMajesty's
to prosecution or civil proceedings.
Stationery Office. Cycle Route Project
Telephone: (01642) 393939 Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council 100023297 2010
Head of Direct Services: J McCann © Crown copyright. Outside Borough Boundary
Title StocktonStirling House,
on Tees Green Tedder Avenue,
Infrastructure Date Unauthorised reproduction infringes
Scale Crown copyright
Development & Neighbourhood Services This map is reproduced from Ordnance Survey material
StrategyThornaby,
Action Plan Priorities 2010-2013
May 2010 1:30,000 or civil proceedings.
and may lead to prosecution Corporate Director: P Dobson with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of
Stockton on Tees TS17 9JP the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office.
Map showing the location and boundary of Wynyard Green Infrastructure Strategy Action Plan Priorities 2010–
Head of Direct Services: J McCann © Crown copyright.
Telephone: (01642) 393939 Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council 100023297 2010 Stirling House, Tedder Avenue,
Thornaby, Stockton on Tees TS17 9JP
Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright
and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings.
Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council 100023297 2010
Telephone: (01642) 393939
Title Date Scale
Woodland Park (Indicative Only) 2013 shows
May 2010how Wynyard Woodland Park
1:30,000will be connected
Stockton on Tees Green Infrastructure
May 2010 1:30,000
Title Date Scale
Strategy Action Plan Priorities 2010-2013
Stockton on Tees Green Infrastructure
Strategy Action Plan Priorities 2010-2013
to a wider network of green infrastructure (Indicative Only)
2
Wynyard Woodland Park is a country park, with parts of the site also designated as a Local Nature
Reserve, Local Wildlife Site and Ancient Semi-natural Woodland (ASNW). The site has 180 ha of
various types of green space, including mixed woodland, lowland meadow, wetland, a disused
railway line, play area and visitor centre. It is home to Tees Valley BAP priority species such as great
crested newt, bats, harvest mouse, and globeflower.
Although the site is accessed primarily by car, National Cycle Route (NCR) 1 forms the spine of the
park. Prior to the project, the site already had an existing 15km of footpaths, rights of way and
bridleways, plus 12 official access points. Enhancements to the park’s green infrastructure was
intended to reduce the need for people to arrive by car by making it highly accessible on foot
or by bike, but also highly ‘natural’. The connectivity of the site would facilitate the movement
of wildlife as well as people. These goals are among those set out in the Tees Valley Green
Infrastructure Strategy, which, by 2021, aims to “develop a network of green corridors and green
spaces that enhance the quality of place for existing and future communities and investors” and
“create and extend opportunities for access, regeneration and enhancements of biodiversity”
across the Tees Valley.
Creating a resilient landscape for people and wildlife
As NCR 1 forms a significant part of Wynyard
Woodland Park, the main thrust of this
project has been to provide cyclists with an
alternative NCR route to and from the park, by
improving connectivity with other principal
green infrastructure sites in Stockton, the
neighbouring village of Thorpe Thewles
and the large residential areas of Hardwick,
Grangefield, Fairfield and Hartburn. To date,
improvements have delivered 2.75km of
enhanced footpath, including 250m of linear
new, and 600m of enhanced, dual footpath
and cycleway. The new alternative route on
the south side of the park now offers cyclists
a safer journey as they are not required
to cycle along Blakeston Lane, which is a
© Peter Mer nagh
narrow, single-lane road. These improvements
contribute to the Local Transport Plan, the
associated Cycling Strategy 2006–11 and the
Rights of Way Improvement Plan 2008–18.
Improved opportunities for walking and cycling in Wynyard
Woodland Park
At Pickard’s Meadow, 10 ha of lowland meadow has been created contributing 100 percent to
the local BAP target for lowland meadow creation. Three new ponds have also been created, as
well as a nesting box for barn owls. At Thorpe Pond, 0.15 ha of pondscape has been maintained,
contributing to BAP targets for great crested newt. Work has commenced on the management
of 76 ha of ASNW at Thorpe Wood, helping to meet BAP targets for harvest mouse, barn owl and
semi-natural broadleaf woodland. Future maintenance of the enhanced green infrastructure will
be carried out by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council’s in-house maintenance teams or, in the case
of Pickard’s Meadow, by grazing agreements with local farmers.
3
The project, which was completed in Autumn 2011 at a total cost of £176,888, has benefited from
effective partnership working. Considerable value for money has been achieved as a result of
cooperation. Many of the green infrastructure outcomes have been delivered at a relatively low
cost. Contributions from partners such as Durham Tees Valley Probation Trust, which contributed
800 hours of unskilled labour and 150 hours of supervisor time, represent valuable examples
of how non-environmental organisations appreciate that green infrastructure projects can help
achieve their own objectives. Furthermore, the lessons learnt from the project have been
shared with the local and wider community, and have ensured strong commitment from all
project partners.
Extending the benefits of a thriving country park to a wider audience
Wynyard Woodland Park contributes to a number
of the strategic themes set out within the Tees
Valley and Stockton-on-Tees’ green infrastructure
strategies. These include improving quality of place;
promoting tourism; promoting outdoor recreation;
promoting active and sustainable travel; making
places safe, welcoming and accessible; enhancing
biodiversity and conserving natural resources; and
adapting to the impacts of climate change.
By completion of the project, visitor numbers to
the park for 2010/11 had risen to 280,000 – an
increase of more than 100,000 visitors on the
previous year. This increase was driven largely by
© Keith Matthews
the completion of the park’s new play area in July
2010 and an example of the growth that new green
infrastructure will help to manage sustainably over
time. A survey in 2009/10, found that 81 percent of
Children enjoying the park’s new play area visitors spent less than 15 minutes travelling to the
site, but by 2010/11 that figure had dropped to 67
percent. This indicates that a significant number of
people are now taking longer to travel to Wynyard
Woodland Park either by bike or from further afield,
thanks in part to improved connectivity for cyclists.
The same survey also discovered that the average
duration of a visit to the park is an impressive 1.5
hours. Most people visit the park for exercise, with
50 percent saying that they went to the park to
walk and 14 percent for a bike ride. The increased
number of visitors to the site by foot and bicycle
not only has positive implications for the health
and wellbeing of Stockton’s population, but has the
potential to reduce the carbon footprint of visitors
© Graham Clingan
to the site. It has helped to boost the park’s own
economy, with £22,600 taken at the visitor shop in
2010/11 compared to £11,800 in 2009/10.
The park’s visitor centre is a popular attraction
4
Lessons learnt from planning for maintenance from the start
Weather conditions, issues regarding weed control and the presence of ground-nesting birds
all had an impact on the delivery of Pickard’s Meadow at the northern end of the park, which
highlighted the need for flexibility when planning such projects in the future. However,
development of suitable infrastructure at an early stage of the Pickard’s Meadow project will
enable the site to be managed sustainably for the foreseeable future. This forward-planning
approach is particularly important with local authorities facing severe cutbacks in revenue and
maintenance budgets.
A key part of managing and developing the site is done via the Wynyard Woodland Park
Environmental Trust – a body of volunteers and representatives from neighbouring parish
council, residents associations, charities and other trusts. The park also has a group of 12
volunteers that attend once a week, and further collaboration with the Durham Tees Valley
Probation Trust is giving offenders the opportunity to develop new skills and training that could
lead to an National Vocational Qualification.
The cycle route is expected to be extended in June 2013 three miles to the south of Wynyard
Woodland Park with the creation of the South Stockton Greenway, creating a continuous cycle
route running north to south through the heart of the borough. Not only will this make it easier
for the residents of Stockton and Ingleby Barwick to access Wynyard Woodland Park, it will also
provide a direct link to the borough’s other major urban parks – Preston Park and Ropner Park.
To the north of Wynyard Woodland Park, the National Cycle Network also extends into County
Durham and beyond. Now that these improved links are in place, the council and its partners,
including Sustrans, are considering the potential for cycle hire centres in both the north and
south of the borough, with one of the hubs proposed at Wynyard Woodland Park.
For further information
Natural England SITA Environment Trust
Ingo Schüder / Green Infrastructure Senior Advisor / Jo Hillis / jo.hillis@sitatrust.org.uk
ingo.schuder@naturalengland.org.uk / 03000600940
Wildflower Ark
Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council Martin Allen / Wildflower Expert / wildflowerark@hotmail.com
Keith Mathews / keith.mathews@stockton.gov.uk /
01642526872 Wynyard Woodland Park Environmental Trust
Ed Restall / treasurer@wynyardwoodlandpark.org.uk
Forestry Commission
Ian Everard / ian.everard@forestry.gsi.gov.uk Tees Valley Wildlife Trust
Sue Antrobus / santrobus@teeswildlife.org
Durham Tees Valley Probation Trust
Gordon Wooding / Sustrans
gordon.wooding@teesside.probation.gsi.gov.uk Neil Mitchell / neil.mitchell@sustrans.org.uk
The case study was prepared for Natural England by
LDA Design with Peter Neal Consulting and George Bull.
© Natural England 2013
Catalogue Code: NE393
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