A TEAM of volunteers has been working to improve a wildlife pond on the site of a sewage treatment works in County Durham.

Durham Wildlife Trust (DWT) is working with site owner Northumbrian Water on Newton Aycliffe Sewage Treatment Works, on Aycliffe Business park, which it deems to be a vital wildlife-friendly pocket in the urban landscape.

Situated just off the busy A167 the water supplier and the trust’s Heart of Durham Project are improving the site to offer a habitat for a wide range of flora and fauna.

Anne Porter, project officer, said: “Sites like the sewage works are important for wildlife.

"A constant and increasing demand on land for houses and industrial development highlights the importance of these kinds of pockets of land surrounding water treatment and sewage works owned by Northumbrian Water.”

The area being improved includes a pond supplied by surface run-off from the canteen’s roof, a small area of grassland and an area of scrub.

The pond, which was dug some years ago, is now home to newts and plants including water forget–me-not, water mint, bog bean, purple loosestrife and common reed.

It was cleared out last winter by the trust’s Young Volunteer Group, who also constructed a compost bin and a reptile hibernacula. Now a Heart of Durham team has planted a hedge of hawthorn, hazel, holly and guelder rose and several crab apple trees dotted along the hedge, which will provide blossom in the spring.

Three new bird boxes have also been built.

It is hoped this year should also see the emergence of wildflowers and yellow rattle sown last October, which should attract insects and butterflies to the site.

Treatment works manager, Frank Errington, said: “People might not think of a sewage treatment site as somewhere that wildlife could flourish, but we take care to look after the environment in and around our sites and working with partners like the trust enables us to do even more to protect the flora and fauna.”

The site treats wastewater from the Newton Aycliffe Aycliffe, Shildon and Woodham catchment, a large portion of which is derived from industrial businesses within the industrial estate.

The site was established in the 1930s and has changed dramatically since.

The current site is built over a World War Two ordnance factory so any invasive work requiring excavations requires carefully planned investigation work.