Buzz around plans for bee farm in Hebburn park

After being approached by a beekeeper, South Tyneside Council in its role as Charity Trustee has been considering proposals for Carr Ellison Park.

This includes granting a lease of the former park keeper’s lodge and adjacent land to set the stage for a bee farm development.

Subject to planning approvals, the building is earmarked to become an apiarian training and educational centre with an observatory, beehives and a tearoom.

The new centre would also offer beekeeping courses and aims to draw wider interest from the community towards environmental issues, as well as increasing visitor numbers to the park.

At a meeting of borough council on June 30, 2022, councillors voted unanimously to support the next steps for the bee farm project.

This included agreeing the principle of a six-year lease of the park lodge and other land in close proximity and the administration arrangements for the council going forward.

Councillor Ernest Gibson, lead member for transport and neighbourhoods, introduced a report on the proposals to councillors at South Shields Town Hall.

Cllr Gibson said: “The council is the freeholder of Carr Ellison Park which has been upheld as a trust forever as a public park for recreational use.

“When making any decisions about the park, the council must ensure it complies with the Charity Commission and the Charity Act, acting in the best interests of all charities.

“The former park keeper’s lodge has been unused since 2015 and the council has been approached by a beekeeper who wants to invest in the building to establish a bee farm.

“There are three conditions the council must consider as part of this transaction […] as per the report, the council should be reassured that conditions are met.”

South Tyneside Council is the freehold owner of Carr Ellison Park and the land was acquired by Hebburn Urban District Council in March 1920 from Ralph Carr-Ellison.

Under the terms of the original transfer, a charitable trust was created with the council holding the park as Charity Trustee and being authorised to take decisions over the lease of the land.

The park keeper’s lodge is believed to pre-date the 1920 gift from Ralph Carr-Ellison and has stood vacant since around 2015.

Under new proposals for the building, a lease would be granted to a new charitable incorporated organisation specifically for the purpose of running a bee farm.

Councillor Wilf Flynn, ward councillor for Hebburn South, welcomed the proposals presented to full council.

Cllr Flynn told the meeting: “The [park keeper’s lodge] has stood empty some eight years and the Hebburn South councillors were called in six years ago to discuss the future but we have been tied by legal issues and contractual issues inbetween

“I’m only pleased that the [beekeeper] is still around because he has been involved for some three years now, so this is progress.”

Following full council approval, necessary planning permissions need to be secured before work can start.