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Green light given for work to start on site at Avenue

25/06/2009

East Midlands Development Agency (emda) and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) are pleased to announce that work will start on site at the former Avenue Coking Works site in August.  This follows confirmation just received by HM Treasury that the £172.3m required to deliver the Avenue project, including full remediation of the 98 hectare site in Wingerworth, near Chesterfield, has been officially approved by Government.

Today’s announcement means the finances have been secured to ensure the clean up operation can now start in earnest and work can begin to towards The Avenue’s long term vision. This will include the creation of high quality public space, employment opportunities and potential land for new homes.

There has already been some activity on site, with the draining down and demolition of the chemical plant and trials to test the innovative technology required to treat the contaminated soil to the highest possible standards.  An 18 hectare area has also been remediated to help preserve wildlife habitats that have developed on the land. 

Diana Gilhespy, emda’s Executive Director of Regeneration, said:  “This is fantastic news for the local community and I am delighted that we are able to move into the delivery phase of the project.  emda has been working closely with a range of partners to make sure the remediation strategy is cost effective and to accelerate this major capital scheme which will stimulate the regional economy during these difficult times.”

The Avenue is thought to be one of the most contaminated sites in Europe and is the largest and most complex single project in the HCA-funded National Coalfields Programme.  The site is owned and managed by emda, which is responsible for delivering the remediation through contractor VSD Avenue, a consortium of UK and European companies with skills in specialist contaminated land remediation techniques.

Regional Director for HCA in the East Midlands, Margaret Allen, said: “Avenue represents one of most significant remediation projects in the UK and one that the HCA has been committed to for many years through the National Coalfields Programme.  The confirmation of funding from HM Treasury is very welcomed today. It marks the start of a major regeneration initiative which will in time provide usable public space, employment and homes for North East Derbyshire and beyond.  That we can finally get underway is a testament to the commitment and hard work of all partners to deliver high quality, sustainable regeneration.” 

The clean-up is expected to take four years and once complete, will see the site transformed into a mixed use housing and commercial property development with a nature reserve and recreational facilities that will benefit the local community.  A flood relief scheme will also be incorporated into the development to help protect the wider Chesterfield area from the risk of flooding from the River Rother. 

Betty Hill, spokesperson for the Avenue’s Community Liaison Group, added:  “People living near The Avenue have a real interest in seeing this site change for the better.  I’m sure I speak on their behalf in saying how pleased I am to hear that this important milestone has been reached.  A safe, clean and re-developed site will leave a lasting legacy for generations to come.” 

Diana Gilhespy added:  “It is inevitable that as work starts on site, there will be some disruption for local residents.  We are committed to working closely with our contractors to keep this to a minimum and to provide regular updates so that people know how things are progressing on site.”

To find out more about The Avenue and for the latest news, visit www.theavenueproject.co.uk .

ENDS

For more information about this press release, please contact Clare Baker (emda Media and PR Manager) on 0115 988 8583 / clarebaker@emd.org.uk or Rachael van Oudheusden (on behalf of HCA) on 0115 924 7132 / rachaelv@willoughby-pr.co.uk .

Notes to editors

About The Avenue:

- The former Avenue Coking Works, near Chesterfield, opened in 1956 and closed in 1992.

- The site covers 240 acres – equivalent to 200 football pitches.

- At its peak, the works employed 800 people and produced 1,400 tonnes of smokeless fuel a day.

- A full Planning application for the remediation of the site was submitted to Derbyshire County Council in May 2007.

- Once works commence they will take around 4 years (including the planting of the site) and are currently programmed to end in 2013.

- Cleaning up the site will be one of largest applications of new remediation technologies in Europe and will place the Avenue project at the leading edge of sustainable brownfield regeneration.

- It will be an example of best practice in contaminated land reclamation and partnership working.

- The project is the largest single project in the National Coalfields Programme.
70 % of the site will become open space and new amenity areas, sustainable ecological habitats and wetlands will be created with the Land Restoration Trust and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust advising on these aspects.  The remaining 30% is designated for mixed use redevelopment.

- Remediation contractor VSD Avenue was appointed in 2006 to design the most effective processes to treat gross contamination of the land following decades of coke and chemical production. 

- VSD Avenue is a fully integrated joint venture comprising Deme Environmental Contractors (DEC NV), Volker Stevin Ltd and Sita Remediation.

About emda

East Midlands Development Agency (emda) is one of nine Regional Development Agencies in England, set up in 1999 to bring a regional focus to economic development.

Ten years on, independent evaluation shows emda has:

- Had a significant impact on the region’s economy
- Generated economic benefits that substantially outweigh its overall costs
- Put back over £9 of economic output (or GVA) into the regional economy for every £1 it spends
- Produced more than £1 billion in economic benefits per year
- A wider impact on people, places and businesses in the East Midlands that cannot be captured by figures alone.

emda is committed to supporting the region through the current downturn and has put in place a range of measures to provide real help during these challenging times. 

Over the long term, emda’s aim is to deliver the 2006 Regional Economic Strategy (RES) by working in partnership with public, private and voluntary organisations.  The RES highlights the themes of productivity, sustainability and equality and sets out key priorities until 2020 to ensure the vision for ‘a flourishing region’ can be achieved. 

For more details visit www.emda.org.uk

About HCA

The HCA is the single, national housing and regeneration agency for England.  We bring together English Partnerships, investment functions of the Housing Corporation, and the Academy for Sustainable Communities, with major delivery programmes of Communities and Local Government.

The agency’s vision is about creating opportunity for people to live in homes they can afford, in places they want to live and for local authorities and communities to deliver the ambition they have for their own areas.

This will be achieved by:

- Acting as the bridge between national targets and local ambitions, with a strong regional presence;
- Through a process of 'single conversations' with local authorities, RDAs and sub regional partnerships;
- Working effectively with the market, housebuilders, investors and other stakeholders;
- Understanding the needs and aspirations of people and communities.