After suffering from 100 years of waste tipping by the coal industry, the coastline of County Durham had a run-down and neglected image. Now, as part of the drive towards giving East Durham a more attractive environment and making it into a location in which new industry will wish to invest, plans are in place to restore the coastline to its former beauty.
Turning The Tide is an ambitious and innovative programme through which, by the end of the twentieth century, the derelict wastelands will have been replaced with an area rich in wildlife which will attract local people and visitors from far afield. The programme will build on the current proposal to have the entire coastline declared a National Nature Reserve, which will be a fitting recognition of the beauty and grandeur of this previously uncelebrated part of Britain.
The programme has received the backing of the lottery-funded Millennium Commission, which has recognised the importance of Turning The Tide by awarding it a substantial grant and ensuring that it receives a high profile in the press and media.