Good morning,

We have just had notification from Bio-Matrix that they are visiting site tomorrow to carry out a maintenance inspection on the floating islands on the lake.  I am sure they would be happy to answer any questions about the islands if you have any.  Please feel free to speak to them, obviously at a safe distance (2m).

Stay safe.

Christine

Good morning,

We wanted to take this opportunity to wish all our customers a Merry Christmas and all the very best for 2020.  We would also like to thank you all for your patience and understanding whilst we have carried out our works, thank you for being amazing!

As you can see by the picture my team are in the festive mood.  Both Tony and Becky are taking time off to be with their loved ones over Christmas along with the site teams, but wanted to show off their Christmas jumpers.

I will be working over the Christmas and New Year period if you have any concerns.  You can contact me by commenting on this post or alternatively calling 03457 171100.

Merry Christmas, stay safe and be kind.

Christine

Hi Everyone

Everytime I visit, I'm amazed by the progress of the Eco-gardens in the Lake. I remember watching what appeared to be very slow growth for the first couple of months wondering if they would ever take hold - well its fair to say, they've firmly established now! Lets hope the rest of the reinstatements show similar progress over the coming months!

Regards

Tony

Hi Everyone

I was on site this week, please find attached a few photos and a video showing how the basins are progressing

Regards

Tony

Hi Everyone

Just a quick note to say that although we haven't been very visible lately, we haven't forgotten about the remaining reinstatements we need to do. You may notice activity next week while we carry out a few tasks to that end.

I've attached a few pictures from this morning which show that the reinstatements are slowly taking hold

Regards

Tony

Hi Everyone

Time for the weekly growth report.....I was on site again and although the weather may be changeable and inconsistent, the combination of sun and rain is certainly good for the grass around the lake. Its really starting to look rather green in the basins and park area. I've attached a few photos.

While the grass and trees are slowly taking hold, its still important to remember that the reinstatements are a slow process. We've completed the reinstatements to the required specifications set out by Northumbrian Water and the Council, but now we need to allow them to flourish. This is not the finished product yet - it may take up to a year before the area is fully established. Its also important to remember that we have had unusually high rainfall this summer and this has also had an impact on the ground conditions. We have a 12 month reinstatement plan, followed by a further 5 years contracted maintenance programme - it will take time.

On the subject of the high rainfall, I found a family who have been very happy with that! (see the photos attached)

Enjoy your weekend

Tony

Hi Everyone

I had another walk around site this week and was amazed by the progress of the Biomatrix islands in the Lake, they are absolutely thriving - I've attached a couple of pictures. The rest of the reinstatements are coming along too, hopefully in time they'll show similar progress to the islands!

Enjoy your Bank Holiday, its meant to be a scorcher!

Regards

Tony

Grass Watch!

That sounds like a rubbish BBC2 gardening show, but I thought I'd show a few photos of our reinstatements around the Lake. The patchy rain and sun is helpful for growing grass, so we can definitely see progress.

However, the rain is making it difficult to complete the small number of remaining tasks that we have to do, so we have decided to postpone the remaining works for a week or two and hope for an upturn in weather before we return to finish off. We will be back very soon.

Regards

Tony

Hi Everyone

As you can see the main body of work is now complete although you will probably still see us around for the next week or so, finishing off some minor jobs.  Some things have been on hold due to the recent rain that we've had, however these will be completed when the weather permits.

The council have also asked that we leave fencing up around the picnic area until the seed takes hold - we will be replacing our branded fencing there with a smaller, different type of fence and it will remain in place for a little while.

I've attached a few pictures that were taken this morning.

Regards

Tony

Hi Everyone

I thought I'd share some comparison photos of our work on Benton Village Green. You may remember we reinstated the Village Green and left some planters, trees, meadow grass and signs in place. I've attached a few photos of how it was when we left it and how it was recently - it has certainly established now!

Have a nice weekend

Tony