Plans to spruce up the fading ‘jewel in crown’

A MOVE to spruce up dirty benches and beds at a Teesdale beauty spot has been earmarked for the future as summer flower planting begins.

Floral spaces around Barnard Castle will be replanted and replenished during the week beginning June 12. Cllr Roger Peat, chairman of the town council’s services committee, who has spearheaded planting efforts in recent years, wanted to see more done to tackle run down beds on county council owned Scar Top.
He said: “Personally, I would like it when we are in charge of Woodleigh beds to put a few shrubs in and do something more vibrant to make it look brighter.
“To me that area should be far better than it is – the wooded seating around there is looking very dirty.
“Should we be looking at doing something differently with that?
“It should be the jewel in our crown.”
Durham County Council last completed a major renovation of the grounds and benches of Woodleigh and Scar Top in 2013.
Paperwork is still being processed for the county council to hand over the grounds to the town council and a definite date or timeframe for the handover remains unknown.
Since the renovation, volunteers have joined Cllr Peat adding floral colour to green spaces around the town on Bridgegate, Market Place, Galgate, and Scar Top.
At the moment, the town council buys bedding plants from Darlington Borough Council’s leftover stock.
Cllr Peat suggested hardier plants could be a possible way forward in future and asked people and groups to come forward with ideas of areas that need more plants.
He added: “We spent more on water than we did on plants last year because of the amount of work involved.
“Looking to the future we need to think cost effectively – particularly if we are looking for more herbaceous plants than bedding plants.”
Meanwhile, permanent bedding plants will be put in near Kings Court in the coming weeks.