WORK has got underway to create a huge green goddess into the North-East landscape.

Around £2.5m is being invested by regional developer The Banks Group and The Blagdon Estate in the creation of the unique Northumberlandia landform, which will form the centrepiece of a public park on land donated by the Estate, to the west of Cramlington in Northumberland.

Four hundred metres long and up to 34 metres high, the Northumberlandia will be formed from 1.5m tonnes of soil and clay taken from Banks' nearby Shotton surface mine.

It will be created using bulldozers and excavators, with the work being undertaken by Banks employees from the Shotton site.

Northumberlandia's designer, world-renowned artist Charles Jencks, Banks Group chairman Harry Banks and Matt Ridley from Blagdon Estate cut the turf on site to mark the official start of work on the project today. It is expected to take around two years to complete.

Since the mine was given the go-ahead in 2008, the Banks Group and Blagdon Estate have been working closely with Charles Jencks to finalise the design for the landform park, which is due to be open to members of the public in 2013.

Mark Dowdall, environment and community director at The Banks Group, said: "This is a real milestone in the process of creating what we are confident will quickly become a widely-recognised and acclaimed regional landmark.

"Northumberlandia and the surrounding park will be a wonderful place for local people to visit as well as providing a boost to the regional economy through increasing the numbers of visitors that come to the area to see it for themselves.

"Our plans have attracted great interest both from across the country and right around the world, and we are very satisfied to see construction works start at Northumberlandia."