WORK has begun on the first new park in Darlington for a hundred years.
RPS, an environmental consultancy group from Durham, has been commissioned by developer Bussey and Armstrong to design the 13.5 hectares Faverdale biodiversity park.
It is part of the redevelopment of the former Darchem (Darlington Chemical Works) site, which closed in the early 1990s.
Mayda Henderson, of RPS, said: "The aim is to create a number of native woodland, meadow and grassland habitats that at the same time will serve the recreational needs of the local population".
RPS and Bussey and Armstrong have worked with Darlington Borough Council, Tees Forest and other agencies to ensure the park's success. Programmes have been set up to provide the local community with a sense of ownership.
Tony Cooper, of Bussey and Armstrong, said: "We want to encourage the people who are going to use the park to have an investment in its future by getting involved in its design from day one."
The park will be managed by Darlington Borough Council.
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