The building will be home to Newcastle City Council staff working in Ouseburn Parks including the Park Manager, Information Officer, Rangers and Education and Interpretation Officer.

An exhibition space will provide interpretation boards explaining the history and wildlife of the parks and information about events, places to visit and how to get involved. The building also includes a classroom, offices and a meeting room giving more people the chance to learn about and enjoy this historic park

Ivor Crowther, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in the North East, said: “This new centre will provide visitors to the park with a whole new experinece. Not only will they get to enjoy this wonderful green space, but they will now have the chance to learn more about its long history and be able to get involved with its future. HLF are proud to have played a major role in this much wider project and support everyone who has worked so hard to make it happen.”

The centre incorporates green features including a rain water collection tank and will collect water runoff from the sedum roof and courtyard, which will then be used to supply water in the building for flushing toilets. A sedum roof will not only create a great environment for the local nature, but will also help store water and reduce runoff as well as providing insulation.

The new building is just one aspect of a £6 million Heritage Lottery Fund Parks for People project. The popular Pets Corner has been rebuilt and has recently re-opened to the public. The new animals include 3 Soay sheep, 2 Saddleback Pigs, 2 Tamworth Pigs, Anglo Nubian goats and a Golden Guernsey Goat. The two Pygmy Goats, Snowy and Socks have returned from Ouseburn Farm where they have been living whilst the building work was taking place.The new Millfield House Café is now open 7 days a week and provides a wide selection of hot and cold snacks and drinks.

A new bridge has been installed across the Ouseburn near Armstrong Bridge. This provides a link between Colemans Field and a new park entrance on Benton Bank. By encouraging people to park on Benton Bank traffic around Pets Corner will be greatly reduced.

Ouseburn Parks is the collective name for 58 hectares of park land located 1 mile from Newcastle City centre and is made up from the following Parks: Jesmond Dene, Paddy Freemans Park, Armstrong Park, Heaton Park and Jesmond Vale.

Notes to editors

Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) sustains and transforms a wide range of heritage for present and future generations to take part in, learn from and enjoy. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest in every part of our diverse heritage. HLF has supported 33,900 projects, allocating £4.4billion across the UK including £214millon in the North East alone. 

The Visitor Centre, Footbridge and buildings in Pets Corner have been shortlisted for the RICS renaissance awards in the following two categories, Tourism and Leisure and Regeneration under the title Contemporary Structures in Ouseburn Parks.

Further information

Seamus Tollitt, Newcastle City Council on 0191 281 2082 or seamus.tollitt@newcastle.gov.uk