Progress being made on Conservation Area Management Plan for Berwick

Northumberland County Council, together with Berwick Conservation Area Advisory Group (CAAG) and consultants Urban Vision Enterprise, have launched the extensive programme to carry out a photographic and building audit in each of the three Conservation Areas in these locations.

This is the first phase of a wider initiative to establish an up-to-date Conservation Area Management Plan, covering all three conservation areas, in a scheme jointly funded by Historic England.

Berwick CAAG hosted the launch on September 29. The project then delivered an online taster session to enable people to find out more on October 20, which was well-attended with 18 potential volunteers.

Urban Vision Enterprise then went on to deliver two in-person and one further online volunteer training sessions in late October and early November.

Now that the volunteers have been recruited and trained, all three Conservation Areas have been assigned volunteers for surveying.

Berwick CAAG chairperson Margaret Shaw said: “This ambitious programme involves six key priority areas across the three Conservation Areas being surveyed by mid-December 2022, with the remaining areas to be completed in spring 2023.

“The project is only made possible with thanks to the time, effort and continued support of all those volunteers who are participating.

“Together, we are creating the first comprehensive photographic audit of the Berwick-upon-Tweed, Spittal and Tweedmouth Conservation Areas.

“We are excited to shortly be receiving the first survey results.”