Cleaning up of the Avenue site, Wingerworth
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Work to transform the former Avenue Coking Works in Wingerworth is now underway.
Demolition and drainage work has already been carried out and now the second phase of the cleaning up of the site has begun. The long term vision is to bring the polluted site back to life, bringing jobs, homes and enjoyment back to the community.
What is the Avenue project?
It is a four year project to clean up the contaminated land at the Avenue site in Wingerworth, and bring it back into use. The Avenue was originally a colliery, and later a coking plant and chemical works that closed in 1992. The site covers 242 acres – equivalent to 200 football pitches. The project aims to de-contaminate the land and provide high quality open spaces, nature conservation areas, leisure, housing and business facilities. The project also involves a flood prevention scheme.
Who is involved in cleaning up the site?
The Avenue site is owned by East Midlands Development Agency (emda). It has contracted a company called VSD Avenue to clean up the site, along with Jacobs Environmental which is providing engineering advice, and Turner and Townsend which is managing the project.
emda is also working with organisations that regulate the clean-up operation. These include:
- Environment Agency; responsible for overseeing and regulating the clean-up process of the site
- North East Derbyshire District Council; a consultee for human health and nuisance issues (such as noise or smells), and will deal with planning applications for the future development
- Chesterfield Borough Council; a consultee for nuisance issues and the clean up of the River Rother
- Derbyshire County Council; responsible for planning consent and implementation of the clean-up works
- Derbyshire County Primary Care Trust; responsible for public health
- Natural England; responsible for conservation and protection of wildlife
- Health & Safety Executive (HSE); responsible for site safety.
emda is also working with Derbyshire Wildlife Trust which manages the nature reserve at The Avenue, and the Land Restoration Trust which will manage the public open space on behalf of emda once the clean up is finished.
What is North East Derbyshire District Council’s role in the project?
The council isn’t the lead organisation in this project and all initial enquiries or concerns should be made to VSD Avenue. If nuisance problems (such as noise, dust and smells) haven’t been resolved people can contact us to take the matter up on their behalf. We will also deal with any planning applications for future development of the site.
How will people living and working nearby be affected by the clean-up?
There will be traffic and machinery movements during the clean up, but VSD Avenue will minimise disruption. Unfortunately there will be some noise, including at night and weekends. We have agreed appropriate noise levels for site operations to reduce the impact on local people.
Local residents may also notice an increase in smells and dust as the works are carried out and the ground is disturbed. Although these are not harmful, monitoring will be carried out to make sure they are within agreed limits.
emda has employed a specialist team to investigate and monitor complaints. Local residents are not at risk so long as they don’t come into direct contact with the contaminated materials on the site.
Who can I contact if I have concerns about the project, or need to get a problem or nuisance addressed?
If anyone has a question, comment or concern about the work taking place on site, there are a number of ways to contact the emda project team:
- email: enquiry@avenuecw.co.uk
- phone: 01246 272379 (this has a dedicated answer phone service so people can leave a message if they call outside of normal working hours).
- write to or visit the site office: The Avenue, Derby Road, Wingerworth, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S42 6NB. If visiting it is best to try to make an appointment so you can meet the correct people.
emda will continue to hold regular meetings with the local community at key points in the project to make sure people are given the opportunity to provide feedback and make suggestions about the project.
When did the clean-up work start?
Trials have been taking place on site since 2000; the main works began in September 2009 and will last for four and a half years. emda then hope to have developers lined up to come on site and start building (subject to planning permission) some new homes and business units.
Why is the site so contaminated?
Decades of coke and chemical production have left parts of the site heavily contaminated. Over 90 per cent of the contamination is a result of the disposal of industrial waste on the site by former operators British Coal. Although the tip was licensed, the standards are far below what would be acceptable today. If the contamination on site was allowed to continue polluting the River Rother, then the council would be required to use its formal powers to require emda to clean up the site.
I have heard that there will be a chimney on site, what is it for?
A thermal treatment process will be used to treat some of the contaminated soil, and the chimney is needed to safely remove the filtered emissions (such as steam and carbon dioxide) into the atmosphere. The equipment will be removed when the clean up has finished.
Will emda also be cleaning up Grassmoor Lagoons?
No, this is part of a separate project run by Derbyshire County Council, contact ‘Call Derbyshire’ for more details.
How can I get regular updates about the latest developments?
There are many ways people can find out more:
- visit www.theavenueproject.co.uk for the latest news
- come along to one of emda’s road shows or events
- speak to a Community Representatives (details on emda’s website)
- link into the technical liaison group where members of the public are able to meet with project team members to find out more about specific site activities;
- keep an eye out for newsletters which are circulated to houses around the site, and to key community venues such as parish halls, libraries and community centres. Stories are also sent to WINGS magazine, local newspapers (e.g. Derbyshire Times) and radio stations (e.g. BBC Radio Sheffield), and link in with local authorities / parish councils.
If you would like more detailed information about the clean-up of the Avenue site, please see the Question and Answer sheet on the Avenue project website. You can also contact them on the details below.
For all the latest news about the project, view the Avenue newsletter online.
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