Just ticket to boost tourism’s structure
A LEADING Weardale attraction has backed a joint ticketing scheme proposed for the Eastgate Renewable Village.The scheme, which would link the proposed development with Weardale’s existing tourist attractions and boost both visitor numbers and income for the region’s tourism industry, has the backing of Tom Mercer, a co-op member of the Harehope Quarry Project.
Tom said: “We run a full programme of community events every year and hosted visits from more than 30 schools in 2007. “But, like many of the other attractions in the area, if we had additional resources in terms of marketing and personnel, we would be able to do much more and reach out to more people.
“A joint ticketing scheme like this might lead to greater promotional budgets, offer a central information point for education, and help structure days in the Dale which cover a variety of locations.
And all of these ideas would be sure to enhance the numbers of people that visit both individual attractions and across the wider Weardale area.”
The quarry near Frosterley currently offers facilities for environmental education, field studies, rural skills training, community development, and community arts projects, and presents a unique setting for study, relaxing, meetings, volunteering opportunities and community events.
It would be just one of the existing attractions that it is hoped would be included in the joint ticketing scheme.
The proposed Eastgate Renewable Energy Village will provide business accommodation in the area, creating sustainable jobs for local people, but will also attract new visitors into the Dale through features including a geo-thermally heated public hot springs spa and extensive mountain bike trails. Other planned attractions include a hotel, education facilities, rare breeds visitor centre and a range of leisure activities.
Bob Hope, director of Environment and Regeneration at Wear Valley District Council said: “We want to use Eastgate Renewable Energy Village as a catalyst for economic development across Weardale
“ This includes facilitating tangible benefits for all parts of our tourism sector. “Creating formal links between Eastgate and Weardale’s existing range of high-quality tourist attractions will help to demonstrate the wider offering that the Dale has for tourists.
“This will encourage visitors to spend longer with us and increase the income that local people derive from their visits. “We are already in discussions with a number of Weardale’s tourist attractions about how a joint ticketing initiative might work, and are encouraged by the positive response and innovative ideas generated so far.”
An outline planning application for the proposed Eastgate Renewable Energy Village in Weardale has now been submitted to Wear Valley District Council and is on display in Crook Civic Centre, Durham Dales Centre and Wolsingham Library.
Information boards and posters showing plans contained in the application can be found visible at a number of locations throughout the Dale and Weardale Hub in Stanhope, and the plans are also available to view online.
Unique in this country, Eastgate will be the only Renewable Energy Village to feature all five forms of land-based renewable energy available in the UK, namely hydro, solar, wind, biomass and geothermal.
It will generate sufficient ‘clean’ electricity to offset the energy consumption of the whole of Weardale and will create around 350 jobs. The village will encompass a mix of homes, office and workshop accommodation, a hotel and a public geothermally heated spa, only the second in the UK.
The entire site, will cover an area greater than 800 football pitches, and incorporate visitor attractions and fish-farming. For more information on the project, visit www.weardale-works.com, call 01388 761571 or email regeneration@wearvalley.gov.uk
