A company in the region has been supporting work to encourage wildlife on a river running through one of the North-East's best-known industrial areas.

UK Land Estates and Buildings for Business, in a joint venture with regional development agency One NorthEast, has helped the Environment Agency install bird boxes, bat boxes, kingfisher posts, hedgehog boxes, swallow cliffs and sandbanks for wildlife along the banks of the River Team at the Team Valley Estate, in Gateshead.

UK Land Estates has been working with the Environment Agency to improve a section of the river in Queensway North, which fronts the Queens Park development site and is part of the Team Valley business park.

Projects have included modifying the river banks to create a more natural habitat and building structures such as sandbanks, planted with native wildflowers and wetland plants to encourage wildlife to move into the area from nearby sites, such as Lamesley Pastures and Norwood Nature Park.

Further improvements will be carried out across the Team Valley Estate in partnership with Buildings for Business.

As a result of the work that has been carried out, ducks, foxes, rabbits, water voles and a variety of birds are now commonplace along the banks of the Team, in the middle of the biggest industrial and commercial estate in the North-East.

The work is part of the wider River Team Revival Project to improve one of the region's worst-polluted rivers, which runs from Stanley, in County Durham, to the River Tyne, at Dunston.

An EU-funded partnership, its supporters include local councils, Great North Forest, Northumbrian Water and Durham Wildlife Trust.

The River Team Revival Project co-ordinator, Tara Duncan, said: "Coal mining and the industrial revolution have taken their toll on the River Team and its surrounding area over time.

"Until recently, the river was one of the most polluted in Britain and is heavily modified in places. There is still a lot of work to be done to put right the damage that has been done and launching this plan is a step in that direction."

Sir Ian Wrigglesworth, executive chairman of UK Land Estates and Buildings for Business, the owner of the freehold of Team Valley, said: "We believe that the River Team Revival Project will enhance the local habitat in and around the River Team within the Team Valley, providing a cleaner environment.

"We hope the improvements being made will encourage nature lovers to come to Team Valley to enjoy the landscape and views of the River Team as well as the newly-attracted wildlife.

"The project demonstrates our commitment to supporting environmental improvements in Team Valley, while at the same time UK Land Estates strives to develop environmentally-efficient and sustainable buildings so history is not repeated."

UK Land Estates now has the most buildings in the region awarded the national Bream excellent rating for environmental efficiency. Bream takes into account the energy-efficiency of the buildings, if they are built from materials from sustainable sources and the impact they have on the environment.

The company also draws up and implements green transport plans and has built all its new offices and factories on brownfield sites, which have been reclaimed, rather than on Green Belt.

Sir Ian said "We believe in pursuing environmentally-friendly policies. It makes good sense commercially as well as being good for the environment."

Published: 20/09/2005