Tonight Stephanie and I met with the Victoria Embankment Conservation Area group - making a unique moment when two communities connected by one asset came together.
Our mutual interest is, of course, the River Skerne, and more particularly, its banks.
Darlington has 16 conservation areas, of which Victoria Embankment is one of the more recent, being created in 2007. The character appraisal makes fascinating reading, describing a journey of architecture from the 1890's through to present times.
When Esh Development first applied for planning permission on Feethams Football site, they promised to retain a wild-life corridor to the west side of the Skerne. This was an area historically protected by the east boundary of Darlington Cricket Club. The concept was to form a river-side walkway alongside the new access road.
Our recent survey of the river bank indicates that this idea has either been abandoned or alternatively given very little priority. Whilst the unsightly cracked concrete wall was removed, galvanised fences took its place where the walkway was supposed to pass, and behind, the development has impacted on the line of trees and river bank edge.
Together with the Victoria Embankment group, we propose to make a difference. I have volunteered on your behalf to join a joint residents steering committee (the Kingfisher group) to examine the options available to us as residents to protect and enhance the west bank, to spare it further environmental encroachment, and to ensure that the riverside character and tree-line is preserved.
Do get in touch with Stephanie or me if you have any ideas or thoughts about the riverside.
