Project Update – Autumn 2025: Building the Future of the Ouse Burn Way
21st October 2025
The next stage of the Ouse Burn Way is taking shape. Over recent months, the Project Board has been developing a Draft Investment Strategy to guide the initiative’s future direction to bring us closer to achieving our long-term vision for the valley.
This strategy unites the priorities identified by our partners and stakeholders. It sets out a clear framework for future projects with projects that will make a meaningful difference to people, wildlife, and communities across the Ouseburn Valley.
At the heart of the Draft Investment Strategy are a series of project concepts grouped into three key themes:
- Active Travel & Connectivity – Creating safe, accessible and well-designed routes that encourage people to walk, cycle and explore – linking communities with each other, and with nature.
- Water Quality & Biodiversity – Improving the health of the burn through water quality restoration and habitat creation, supporting a more resilient and biodiverse valley.
- Heritage & Regeneration – Protecting the Ouse Burn Valley’s unique character and industrial heritage while encouraging regeneration that benefits local people and strengthens the sense of place.
Once the Project Board adopts the Draft Investment Strategy, we’ll move into the consultation and engagement phase. This is a crucial step, creating an opportunity to work collaboratively with local communities, partners and stakeholders to refine the project concepts and identify potential delivery partners.
Following consultation, projects will be grouped into deliverable programmes, with a focus on securing the funding and investment needed to make the plans a reality. This marks the beginning of the next exciting chapter, the transformation of the Ouse Burn Way from concept to action.
As we prepare the strategy, we’ve been actively engaging with local groups to share ideas and hear feedback. Recent presentations with the Ouseburn Trust and the Jesmond Residents’ Association provided opportunities to explain our ambitions, answer questions, and listen to community priorities for the valley. These conversations are vital. They ensure that local voices remain at the heart of the Ouse Burn Way’s evolution, shaping plans that reflect the community’s needs and aspirations.
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