A partnership is truly blooming in Bishop Auckland, with a range of organisations and community groups working together to improve the town’s environment and enhance its visual appeal.
The Greener Together Working Group has been established by the Town Council’s Allotments and Environment Committee to identify, develop and promote initiatives that enhance green spaces across Bishop Auckland. The group focuses on community planting, “In Bloom” activity and floral displays, supporting both environmental quality and community pride.
Co‑ordinated by Bishop Auckland Town Council, the group brings together representatives from Town Council, Civic Pride, Cultivate 4Life, Green Matters, Wear Rivers Trust, The Auckland Project, Bishop Auckland College, local allotment holders, Bishop Auckland In Bloom, and enthusiastic local residents. Members have been meeting monthly since January and have already delivered significant progress on several projects.
Recent activity includes the planting of the permanent town‑centre flower beds in time for the Food Festival, alongside ongoing development at the Coronation Garden at Bishop Auckland Railway Station. This work has been supported by Bishop Auckland College’s Week of Community Action, as well as dedicated local volunteers Nigel and Agnes.
Michelle Andelin, Director of Creative and Technology Professions at Bishop Auckland College, said:
“The College’s Week of Community Action was a hugely positive experience for both students and staff. Working alongside the Town Council, In Bloom partners and Greener Together volunteers on the Coronation Garden and the ‘In Bloom’ displays at the Town Council building gave students valuable hands‑on experience. They developed practical skills, confidence and an understanding of real client briefs. The project clearly demonstrated the benefits of partnership working — enhancing students’ employability while delivering visible improvements for the town. This is a partnership we are keen to continue to grow and develop.”
For 2026-27 the Town Council are now responsible for funding all of the town centre floral displays, after agreeing to take them on last year. So far there are 22 spring planters in place, and the fixed beds in the Market Place, and rear of Newgate Centre have been planted. In early June the summer tiered displays will be installed, along with sustainable planting on Bob Hardisty Drive.
On one of the warmest day of the year so far, the group welcomed three Northumbria In Bloom judges for their Spring judging visit. Judges were shown the developing volunteer‑led projects, including Titty Bottle Park, alongside showcase locations such as The Walled Garden at Auckland Palace and the evolving planting at the Kynren site.
Councillor Michael Siddle, Chair of the Greener Together Group, said:
“It has been a big task for the Town Council to take over the responsibility of the town centre floral displays, and it is not without its challenge, however the we (the Town Council) know that having flowers and planting in the town is important to residents, as they bring a splash of colour. We started the process of taking the responsibility for the displays last year which was very dry but we kept going and had blooming displays right through to the end of October. We have worked with the Greener Together group to look at planting options available and what areas we can undertake projects on and it has all been really positive.
For the Northumbria in Bloom visit we couldn’t have asked for better weather to showcase the town, and the judges commented positively on the strong community partnerships being built. It really has been wonderful to see so many people coming together to make improvements. Our recent community planting day in the Market Place brought together experienced gardeners, beginners and people of all ages. This is something we hope to build upon further as we look ahead to summer judging in July, where we hope more people can get involved.”
Sarah Harris, Town Clerk, added:
“It was a pleasure to welcome the Northumbria In Bloom judges to the Town Council and show them the beautiful ‘In Bloom’ display created by Bishop Auckland College students. The Greener Together group is truly bringing people together — from art installations and community planting to allotment sites growing plants to enhance our green spaces. More recently, we worked together at the Food Festival to plant over 170 buckets of potatoes with residents ahead of the Horticultural Show in September. We hope to have some bulb planting opportunities in the autumn where we hope that the community can get involved too.”
The Greener Together Working Group meets on the first Friday of each month at 10am at Bishop Auckland Town Council. Anyone interested in getting involved or finding out more is encouraged to email council[@]bishopauckland-tc[.]gov[.]uk or visit https://bishopauckland-tc.gov.uk/council/greener-together/
Looking ahead, the Hearth’s Harvest Festival and Horticultural Show will take place on the last weekend in September at Auckland Palace and is free to attend. Alongside this, the Town Council’s Heritage Fair will be held on the last Saturday in September in the Market Place, Bishop Auckland — also free to attend.
Bishop Auckland's local community newspaper.
