October 21, 2025

Project Update – Autumn 2025: Building the Future of the Ouse Burn Way

We have been working on a Draft Investment Strategy that will help shape the future direction of the Ouse Burn Way and bring us closer to achieving our long-term vision for the valley.

This strategy brings together the priorities identified by our Project Board and sets out a clear framework for projects that can make a real difference. At its heart are a series of project concepts, grouped into three key themes:

• Active Travel & Connectivity – creating safe, well-designed routes that make it easier for people to walk, cycle, and explore, connecting communities with each other, and with nature.
• Water Quality & Biodiversity – improving the health of the burn, restoring water quality, and creating habitats where wildlife can thrive.
• Heritage & Regeneration – protecting the valley’s unique character and heritage while encouraging regeneration that benefits local people.

Once the Project Board has adopted the Draft Investment Strategy, the next stage will be consultation and engagement. For us, this is a crucial part of the process. An opportunity to work closely with local communities, partners, and stakeholders to refine the project concepts and identify who might help us deliver them.

From there, we will begin to package projects into deliverable programmes, with a strong focus on securing the funding and investment needed to make these plans a reality. This is when the real transformation of the Ouse Burn Way will start to take shape.

Alongside preparing the strategy, we have also been sharing our ideas and listening to feedback. Recently, we’ve delivered presentations with the Ouseburn Trust and the Jesmond Residents’ Association. These sessions gave us the chance to explain our ambitions for the Ouse Burn Way, answer questions, and hear directly from people about their priorities for the valley. These conversations are vital as they ensure that local voices remain at the heart of everything we do.

For us, the Draft Investment Strategy is more than just a plan. It’s an exciting milestone – a bridge between vision and delivery. It sets out how, together, we can shape a cleaner, greener and better-connected Ouse Burn Valley where people, wildlife and heritage all thrive.