Newcastle's Green Link

Connecting communities and nature

The Ouse Burn Way will stretch from the River Tyne at Ouseburn to Weetslade Country Park and the Letch in Longbenton, with a possible extension into Newcastle Great Park.

The seven-mile trail will connect communities with nature bringing long-term benefits to water quality, wellbeing and wildlife. With a clean river, the full potential of the Ouse Burn and River Letch green corridor can be realised. This project aims to provide mental and physical health benefits with easier access to and within the green corridor.

Connecting communities from Byker to Jesmond and Longbenton. While allowing nature to thrive and provide educational benefits in a unique city centre accessible location.

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Home - The Ouseburn Way

The Story So Far

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Why?

Our vision is that in 10 years, the Ouse Burn will be a valley with abundant wildlife, cycle paths and walkways for recreation and environmentally friendly commuting. Linking to sustainable transport routes throughout the region.

Water will be significantly cleaner, as clean as water can be in an urban environment and as the valley regenerates it will enhance biodiversity right into the inner-city and provide an area of carbon capture and natural cooling for the city.

The restored heritage will provide access to the history of Newcastle. Derelict buildings will be brought back to life as a resource for heritage, employment and education.

And the many communities who value the valley will have been empowered to have their say, supported by funding to bring about the changes they identified.

Water

Water

  • Rewild
  • Improve quality
  • Reduce pollution
  • Mitigate flood risk
Wellbeing

Wellbeing

  • Encourage growth
  • Improve transport routes
  • Add amenities
  • Promote health
Wildlife

Wildlife

  • Educate population
  • Regenerate lands
  • Restore habitats
  • Protect species
Community

Community

  • Play with nature
  • Connect areas
  • Recreate cultural spaces
  • Promote social cohesion
Heritage

Heritage

  • Form part of National Trail
  • Regenerate historical landmarks
  • Celebrate local heritage
  • Explore tourism potential

Explore the Ouse burn way

Download our Vision document

All of our proposed plans are outlined in our in-depth Vision document.

Download for Free today

What

The Ouse Burn Way is a vision that combines environmental and green initiatives with inner-city living. A corridor of green space that is easily accessible and connects communities, both urban and rural.

Providing a safe, enjoyable and healthy means to travel by improving links throughout the area and into Northumberland. Whilst offering development opportunities to support education, skills, employment and business.

This would serve and benefit the adjacent communities from the inner city to the suburbs and provide a massive natural resource for better health, education and enjoyment, together with a better tourism offer.

It’s adoption would be consistent with many national and local strategies. This can be achieved through improving the linkages between the various sections of the valley, ensuring better water quality within the river, providing better accessibility into the park areas, work to the internal infrastructure and its natural woodland, all to create a safer, attractive and more easily used environment which is also a haven for nature.

The vision encompasses these three core areas:

  1. River Tyne to Newington Road
  2. Jesmond Dene / Heaton Park to Salters Bridge
  3. Salters Bridge to Weetslade Country Park

Plus, one extension:

  1. Salters Bridge to Newcastle Great Park
connection-community-wellbeing-education

How

The Reece Foundation is working with partners including Northumbrian Water, Newcastle City Council, North Tyneside Council and the Environment Agency. Together they are all working closely with local communities on the project's evolution.

The Reece Foundation is creating a kick-start fund of £1m to leverage the support this project will require. This will hopefully enable partner organisations to leverage the additional funds required to bring this project to fruition.

Northumbrian Water and Newcastle University to develop a clean water strategy to tackle the current pollution problems in the Ouse Burn to achieve bathing quality status

Improvement of the City Stadium area to ensure integration with the Ouse Burn Trust and the adjacent communities in Byker, Heaton, Shieldfield and The Minories

Redevelopment of the Newington Road Depot to provide a mixed use development focused on the creation of a parkland link between City stadium and Jesmond Dene

Creation of an integrated rewilding strategy of the farmland to the north of Gosforth Golf Club, Gosforth Park (including the Racecourse), and Gosforth Nature Reserve focusing on the existing wetlands and forestry

Encouragement of adjacent businesses to take advantage of the improvements to the area though reorientation of adjacent pubs and restaurants etc to cater for park users

Regeneration of Jesmond Dene with improved integration to Paddy Freeman’s Park and the surrounding communities in High Heaton and Jesmond

Download our Vision Document

Our in-depth brochure outlines all of our proposed plans and aims to:

  • Define the potential of the Ouse Burn and the Letch as a major recreational resource of benefit to the residents of Tyne and Wear
  • Seek the support of all those bodies with an interest in the area to agree a comprehensive strategy that meets local and national objectives and secures the long term development and maintenance of the corridor
  • Work closely with local communities in the evolution of the project

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