Barnaerd Castle’s annual bonfire night celebrations and its weekly parkrun remain in place after a bid to secure protected designation on the upper Demesnes wildflower meadow failed. It emerged this week that an unidentified resident had attempted to get the meadow declared a local wildlife site. However, the town council has revealed it had held a site visit with an officer from Durham County Council’s ecology team. “The officers report concluded the grassland (hay meadow) did not meet the required criteria to be designated as a local wildlife site but was a valuable natural grassland area. “The town council are reassured from the report and from direct discussions with the officer that the environment and recreational use of the area can be enjoyed by everyone.”