Volunteers have waded in to transform a pond and neglected wasteland into a haven for wildlife on the edge of a new business park.

Omega ponds in Northallerton, which are on the edge of the Thurston road business park is being transformed into an ideal home for bees,butterflies,birds and amphibians, with flower meadows and wildflower areas.

Volunteers from the county council’s Countryside Service, local residents and police pulled on their wellies and dug in to carry out the work clearing out the pond and surrounding land.

It’s the first of a series of schemes to improve neglected and abandoned areas around the town put forward through the Northallerton Environment Enhancement Initiative NEEI.

The site was identified by Northallerton in Bloom as an area of great potential for biodiversity and an agreement was drawn up with the landowners Hambleton District council who will be taking over maintenance of the site.

The land was seeded with locally collected wildflower seed which should flower next summer.

Volunteers also marked out three other grass areas which will be left uncut over the summer months to see what flowers are already there.

Areas of long grass are also being preserved and raked to encourage more wildflowers next year.

County Councillor Tony Hall said “It’s fantastic to see a change happening on the ground that will benefit Northallerton residents and local wildlife, which is known to be struggling locally and across the country.

Work on sites like this across the town will not only help key pollinators such bees move around more freely, but will also make the town more beautiful for residents and visitors.”

The aim is to identify more neglected sites where work can be done around the town and also encourage local volunteers to get involved in regeneration.

But NEEI also wants to look at extending the scheme to other economic and cultural opportunities for volunteers.

Work is already being done with a number of local schools and members are keen to hear from other people who want to get involved.

For more information contact Doug Doherty on 07523 216736 or email Peter Cole at peter.cole@hambleton.gov.uk