October 18, 2023

The story so far: The Ouse Burn Way

The Ouse Burn Way is a vision. A vision of a 10+ year plan that will transform the loved and much valued, but now polluted Ouse Burn, into a valley with abundant wildlife, cycle paths and walkways for recreation and environmentally friendly commuting. Linking sustainable transport routes throughout the region and connecting urban and rural neighbourhoods.

The ambition is to make the Ouse Burn a national exemplar of how the pollution of similar degraded urban rivers across the country can be mitigated. The 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 quality is a challenge as increased pollution through human sewage plus agricultural and urban runoff has had a major impact over recent years. The Reece Foundation has already funded research by Newcastle University to carry out the water quality analysis of the Ouseburn because it was concerned that the reduction in water quality and specifically pollution from human sewage was having a very detrimental effect on the Ouseburn Valley as a healthy green space for people and wildlife.

The Reece Foundation commissioned Ryder Architecture to develop the concept of “The rebirth of the Ouse Burn and the Letch” to improve the current degradation within the environment to ensure a green, attractive and accessible corridor strategy is established – improving the lives of thousands of people. Watch to discover how this regenerated seven-mile, 30-minute cycle or 2-hour walking route will once again connect our communities with nature.