East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward is backing Derbyshire’s famous transformation of the former Avenue coking works site in north Derbyshire into a residential development, with £1m of funding for an improved access point to pave the way for more than 100 affordable new homes.
The East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) has secured and agreed to provide the funding for North East Derbyshire District Council’s continued regeneration project at The Avenue in Wingerworth.
Ms Ward said: “The Avenue at Wingerworth is an ambitious project – one we want to support. Its transformation from a polluted, unused area into a mixed-use site has been great. They are bringing the community and nature back into that space.
“This funding will go towards supporting the project so they can expand further and have more development opportunities in the future.
“Sites like The Avenue are vital for boosting both the local and regional economy, so we want to support the work they are already achieving here in North East Derbyshire by investing in the project.”
The original Avenue regeneration scheme involved a major clean-up and unprecedented land reclamation of the heavily polluted land at the former Avenue coking site near Chesterfield, which is now The Avenue housing estate, boasting hundreds of new, safe homes.
It was one of the most ambitious and effective remediation projects in the UK, and potentially Europe, and involved the Coal Authority, now called the Mining Remediation Authority.
The original 98-hectare site closed in 1992 after it had already polluted the River Rother, and demolition work began after Homes England took over ownership, with work completed by 2018.
North East Derbyshire District Council’s latest project at the site aims to continue transforming the former industrial area into a vibrant mixed-use development, with over 100 affordable homes to be built on brownfield land.
However, a recent challenge has been finding a viable solution for the Mill Lane junction off the A61 Derby Road, which provides access to the southern part of the site.
The district council has come up with plans for a signalised junction as a more cost-effective and technically sound solution after commissioning a study by WSP UK Ltd, which is supported by Derbyshire County Council.
The district council states the new plan eliminates the need for third-party land acquisition and unlocks a Taylor Wimpey development, while EMCCA’s £1m of funding will be used to provide the new access point and help to complete the southern access point of The Avenue project.
Cllr Jayne Barry, North East Derbyshire District Council Cabinet Member for Regeneration, said: “We are delighted to receive this funding to help unlock the potential of this site.
“This was one of the most polluted sites in Europe, and I am proud of the work that we have done to regenerate the site, which is now home to new properties. This funding will help deliver over 100 affordable homes, new infrastructure, jobs, economic growth, and more for North East Derbyshire.”
The Avenue’s overall strategic project is one of the most ambitious and effective remediation schemes ever undertaken in the UK, and it has been achieved with over £185m of public money and through a partnership between the district and county councils and Homes England.
Benefits from the wider project are expected to include an economic boost, job creation, the redevelopment of brownfield land, the delivery of approximately 363 new homes including 120 affordable units, new infrastructure and road improvements, a new school site, and some biodiversity net gain with new habitats.
North East Derbyshire District Council has been working with partners EMCCA, Homes England (which took ownership of the land in 1999), and Derbyshire County Council to deliver the project.
EMCCA approved the £1m of funding for The Avenue development as part of a £9.5m overall funding pot overseen by the authority, which has been earmarked for regional projects aimed at supporting economic growth.
The money will come from EMCCA’s Government-backed Investment Fund, and the funding was approved on 16 December at the authority’s board meeting in Mansfield.
