International Recognition for Durham Heritage Coast

23rd November 2011

Categories: Visitor News

Durham’s magnificent Heritage Coast has achieved European recognition and was one of only three entrants honoured with a formal ‘Special Mention’ for its work in the prestigious Landscape Award of the Council of Europe competition.

A total of 14 countries competed for the award, which is conferred only once every two years and designed to raise awareness of the value of landscapes, their role in society and positive changes within them.  While Durham Heritage Coast narrowly missed out on winning the main award, to be selected as a ‘runner up’ from strong entries from countries including Italy, France, Hungary, Spain, Finland and Norway is recognition of just how far Durham’s coast has come after emerging from its industrial past.

From Sunderland to Hartlepool, the Durham Heritage Coast was once scarred by industrial activity.  For a century, colliery waste was tipped onto the beaches and into the sea in enormous quantities creating the infamous ‘black beaches’ that provided a bleak backdrop for the films Get Carter and Alien 3.

However, that landscape is now completely transformed.  The extensive environmental and community work being delivered by the Durham Heritage Coast Partnership, which began with the Turning The Tide project and removal of 1.3 million tonnes of colliery spoil a decade ago, has created a wonderful and varied coastal landscape with great natural, historical and geological interest.

The Durham Heritage Coast was recognised by the Council of Europe for a raft of positive activity including development of a continuous footpath, creation of ‘gateway’ sites at the north and south of the coast at Noses’ Point and Crimdon to encourage public access and usage, extensive environmental and habitat improvements and information and signage throughout.

In addition, recognition was given to the strong integrated working practices within the Durham Heritage Coast Partnership and its engagement with local communities to help foster a sense of pride, ownership and identity with the coast.

The Landscape Award of the Council of Europe is conferred by the Council of Europe which adopted the European Landscape Convention, also known as the Florence Convention, to promote the protection, management and planning of European landscapes and organise European co-operation on landscape issues in 2000.  It is the first international treaty to be exclusively concerned with all dimensions of European landscape.

Durham Heritage Coast was awarded the UK Landscape Award in November 2010 earning the right to represent the UK in the international competition.

A video of the transformation of the Durham Heritage Coast can be viewed online by visiting www.uklandscapeaward.org/video/durham_heritage_coast.php.

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