Hexham's recent environmental community success stories

In 2021, an edible trail was launched in Hexham with the aim to inspire people to grow their own food and help reduce food miles.

Hexham in Bloom planters (Image: Newsquest)

The two-mile trail mixed local food history with a walk around edible Hexham beds and the community garden. 

Also in 2021, Hexham in Bloom, who work with local volunteer groups and businesses throughout the year, announced plans to launch an online garden competition, with back gardens eligible for the first time as it was during the pandemic.

Hexham in Bloom planter (Image: Newsquest)

The same year, the newly established Hexham Space for Nature scooped a prestigious environmental award from Hexham's Mayor at the time, Bob Hull.

Mayor of Hexham Cllr Bob Hull, left, with Andy Lees of Hexham Space for Nature (Image: Newsquest)

In 2019, Hexham Town Council said it was ready to listen to suggestions from local people who could help to make the town more sustainable.

Bob Hull pictured at Maiden Cross on Allendale Road in Hexham with old plans of the work done in the garden by Thomas Mawson (Image: Newsquest)

The council agreed at its September 2019 meeting to implement a 19-point sustainability plan, aiming to make the town carbon neutral by 2030.

Later that month, there were demonstrations in the town as part of the global climate change protest.

Colin Willetts, the sales and marketing director for Trivselhus by Esh at the Hexham Gate site (Image: Newsquest)

In 2016, Sweden's leading housebuilder and manufacturer of sustainable homes joined forces with one of the largest construction firms in the North to develop low-energy housing in Hexham.

The properties at the Hexham Gate development, on Corbridge Road, were developed as part of a partnership formed by Trivselhus and the Esh Group.

St Andrew’s Cemetery, Hexham was awarded a Green Flag Award in 2018. Cllr Tom Gillanders (Mayor of Hexham), Steven English (cemetery operations manager), Jane Kevan (town clerk) and Cllr Bob Hull (deputy mayor of Hexham) (Image: Newsquest)

All 16 four and five bedroom detached homes were to be constructed using the fabric-first approach, which supports precision building design to create an airtight structure to retain heat.

Each property includes solar panels on the roof and mechanical ventilation to circulate warm air into different parts of the house through a concealed duct system.

An aerial view of Egger (Image: NQ)

The properties also benefit from an air source heat pump to transfer warm external air into the building in the form of hot water.

In 2017, Egger was the first wood-based panel board manufacturer in the UK to be awarded an upgraded standard for its environmental management system.

In 2017, one of the replacement upgrading lines at the Egger Hexham factory and the team who helped to install it (Image: Newsquest)

In 2018, St Andrew’s Cemetery in Hexham was been recognised for the first time with a Green Flag Award.

The international award, now into its third decade, is a sign to the public that the space boasts the highest possible environmental standards, is beautifully maintained and has excellent visitor facilities.

The cemetery opened in 1859, in response to the burial ground at Hexham Abbey becoming full. The cemetery is managed by Hexham Town Council.

In 1995 the council created a woodland burial section and a pet cemetery was established in 1996.