Environmental Enhancements

Spring has arrived and Ashington’s looking lovely – with daffodils and crocuses popping up, flower towers full of colour, and Hirst Park fresh and bright. Our town’s gateways and entrances have been freshly tended too, and they’re looking fab – a great welcome for anyone coming in. We’ve even got sustainable planting making Station Road shine.

Ashington Town Council is thrilled to announce another successful year of the Great British Spring Clean—a campaign that has brought our community together for over 15 years. This year, our resolute commitment to a cleaner, greener Ashington has shone through thanks to the tireless efforts of our dedicated officers, volunteers, and community partners.

The Ashington Cricket Club’s commemorative tree project to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day is entering its final stages, with the unveiling ceremony now just two months away.

Ashington Town Council believe by keeping Ashington blooming it makes the town an attractive place to live, work and visit.

Ashington Town Council is proud to announce our participation in the 2025 Great British Spring Clean, a nationwide environmental campaign aimed at combating litter and preserving our shared spaces. As representatives of our community, we take the issue of littering throughout Ashington very seriously and are committed to creating a cleaner, safer, and more beautiful town for everyone.

Ashington Town Council has demonstrated its commitment to support local stakeholders and woodland users by pledging just under £4,000 from dedicated project funds towards the Project Development Phase of Ashington Community Woods. This investment, combined with additional funding from Ward Councillors’ Environmental Enhancements budget, will support comprehensive consultation, steering group management, and the preparation of funding applications to help realise the community’s vision for this cherished space.

The Town Council has appointed Groundwork NE & Cumbria, a leading environmental and community charity, to lead this exciting initiative. Groundwork NE & Cumbria brings extensive experience in delivering community-led environmental projects and has a proven track record of working collaboratively with local communities to create lasting positive change. Their approach focuses on empowering local voices and ensuring projects are shaped by those they benefit, while championing practical action to combat climate and nature emergencies. This expertise will be invaluable in developing the woodland’s future while ensuring the community remains at the heart of decision-making.

A fantastic community effort yesterday resulted in an incredible 38 bags of litter collected!

As we move through the winter months, we wanted to share an update about our town’s sustainable planting schemes and acknowledge the dedicated work of our Neighbourhood Services Officers, Mark and Ryan, who maintain our public spaces along Station Road, at our town gateways, and alongside our memorials.

You may notice that our planted areas look different from previous years. This is intentional - we have moved away from seasonal bedding plants that, while providing bright bursts of colour, require frequent replacement and have a larger environmental footprint. Instead, we have embraced sustainable, climate-friendly planting that provides year-round interest through varied textures, forms, and seasonal changes.

While winter gardens may appear less manicured than summer displays, there is beauty in seeing plants through their natural cycles. Our officers work hard to maintain these areas, ensuring they remain healthy and well-tended, even as the plants enter their dormant period. The structural elements of our chosen plants - seed heads, architectural stems, and evergreen foliage - create winter interest while providing valuable habitat for wildlife. Spring bulbs will start appearing soon!

A project will take place in Ashington next year to mark the 80th Anniversary of the ending of World War II.

Ashington Town Council has reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining town assets with a recent tidy-up and planting project at the iconic Mining Wheel on Rotary Parkway.