THE REMNANTS of an early sewage plant have been transformed into a wildlife haven for youngsters.

The new wild park at Snipe Pond, in Darlington, was unveiled this weekend and it is hoped it will become a popular meeting place for young people from the town.

It boasts a wildlife area with seating, hard paths and activity areas for young people and a wild flower meadow.

The project was launched in 2013 by the Friends of Snipe Pond and started out with the aim to tackle many years of neglect in the area which runs along the Southern edge of Darlington.

The friends worked in partnership with River Tees Rediscovered and Darlington Borough Council to apply for a grant of £13,725 from the Department for Communities and Local Government under its ‘Pocket Parks’ initiative. Match funding and volunteers were provided by Cummins.

The Mayor and Mayoress of Darlington, Councillors Brian and Doris Jones, were among guests at the formal opening on Saturday and planted a tree to mark the occasion.

David Tripp, Chair of Friends of Snipe Pond, said he was proud of what had been achieved by volunteers and praised the work that had been done by its partners.

He said: “Without the support and advice of skilled professionals it is very hard for local enthusiasts to create and deliver successful projects.’’

He said he hopes the project will help reduce anti-social behaviour.

He said: “It’s open for young people to make it their own. We want them to have somewhere that is a place of their own to hang out and let off steam.’’