Along our coast we are lucky to have many coastal denes which are areas of woodland with steep sided valleys and often with a water course running along the bottom and eventually out to sea.

The denes are an integral part of our our unique coastline and need to be looked after to ensure the water quality is of a high standard and rubbish is removed to stop it entering the marine environment.

We are working with Northumbrian Water to help deliver a series of coastal dene improvements and we have funding to improve Lime Kiln Gill with Durham County Council and also Hazel Dene in Seaham. Much of this work involves the removal of invasive species such as Japanese knotweed and Himalayan balsam before work can begin on improving access and enhancing biodiversity through the creation of new wetlands, grassland and woodland habitats. We will be working with the local community throughout these projects to ensure they are sustainable and have a long term management plan.