Former sewage works and fishing ponds sold for £153,000 (From The Advertiser Series)
Send us your pictures, video, news and views by texting NORTHERN ECHO to 80360 or email us
Former sewage works and fishing ponds sold for £153,000
5:09pm Thursday 14th February 2013 in News
By Ian Noble, Reporter (Shildon and Spennymoor)
A FORMER sewage works turned fish farm has been sold for £153,000 to help fund projects for a town council.
Shildon Town Council deemed Eden Grange Fish Farm surplus to its needs in 2010 and decided to put it up for sale.
Several bids were submitted for the former Northumbrian Water site, located on Shildon’s outskirts, and the deal has been finalised.
The 11.59 acre site includes five fishing ponds and extensive office accommodation, including the two-storey Eden Grange. It has been sold to an un-named Newton Aycliffe man.
Funds from the sale will be used to help finance projects within the town council’s area.
Mick Waterson, the town council’s clerk said: “We no longer had any use for the building and decided it would be in the council’s best interest to sell it and the councillors agreed. There were lots of bids and the sale was finally completed this week.”
The council initially agreed a deal to sell the land for £167,000 but before the sale could go through vandals damaged the telegraph poles and wiring on the site.
To cover the cost of the repairs the council had to drop its asking price to £153,000.
Northumbrian Water originally developed the site as a sewage works and Eden Grange was built as the sewage works superintendent’s home.
The town council took on the land in 1984. New Shildon Angling Club used three fishing ponds built in the former sewage pits.
The buildings were used by Shildon and Darlington Training until April 2011. The site has now become badly run down.
Councillor Brian Stoker, Shildon’s mayor, said: “We were all in favour of the sale and I think everyone will have their own ideas of what to do with the money.
“The site is getting vandalised more and more. It has become more of a burden to the council and less of an asset and we were happy to sell it.”
