Commencement of Work to Clear the Ditch Along Sunderland Road Recreation Ground
Date Added: 27/03/2024
For a number of years now, the ditch along the Sunderland Road Recreation Ground has been blocked by trees, bushes and litter which has severely compromised drainage of the Ground. To address this, local commuity groups and the Council have organised several litter picks along the ditch to improve the drainage. However, the lasting solution would be to completely clear the vegetation in the ditch and subsequently unblock it.
To this effect, the Council has agreed for works to commence to clear the ditch in two phases. The first phase which starts today and ends tomorrow, concentrates on clearing the trees and bushes in the ditch.After this year's football season, another intensive round of works will be undertaken to unblock the ditch. The purpose is to improve the drainage of the recreation ground and to effectively manage the ditch in the future.
Since the ditch is a site for nesting, the Council consulted the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and local naturalists who confirmed that there is no nesting in this area. Nevertheless, the contractors carrying out the works would still be on the look-out to make sure that clearing the ditch does not disrupt birds that may be nesting.