Avenue achieves ‘excellent’ score in civil engineering awards
02 Jul 2010
Avenue receives 'excellent' award in scheme which aims to improve sustainability in civil engineering and public realm projects
Specialist kit arrives at Avenue site
13 May 2010
The thermal desorption plant will be used to treat the most contaminated soil on site.
Avenue scores highly in first Considerate Constructors visit
13 Jan 2010
The former Avenue Coking Works in Wingerworth, near Chesterfield in Derbyshire, has received an excellent score in the first site visit carried out through the Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS).
Contractors move on site to clean up former Chesterfield coking works
15 Oct 2009
Work has now started to clean up the former Avenue Coking Works in Wingerworth, near Chesterfield.
The Avenue Washlands Nature Reserve
09 Oct 2009
Free family events on the nature reserve, meeting at the Learning Centre on
Avenue Environmental Statement Update 2009
06 Oct 2009
The document details the progress made on environmental performance at The Avenue between April 2008 - March 2009.
The Avenue Newsletter September 2009
18 Sep 2009
For all the latest news and events on The Avenue please click the pdf below
Avenue Newsletter September 2009
28 Jul 2009
Behind the headlines
As a team, we’re committed to keeping both the public and the media up to date with all the exciting developments taking place at The Avenue. In this section, you’ll find an archive of all the press coverage we’ve had to date, together with copies of our press releases.
For any media enquiries relating to The Avenue please contact emda’s Media and PR Team on 0115 988 8583
Avenue Washlands Summer Family Events
28 Jul 2009
For more information please click here
Green Light for Work to start on the Avenue
25 Jun 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.
Read more - here
The Avenue restoration scoops two national awards
03 Dec 2008
The former Avenue Coking Works site at Wingerworth near Chesterfield, which is being remediated as part of a £100m plus scheme, has been recognised at two prestigious national awards ceremonies for its innovative regeneration work.
Landscape Institute Awards 2008
The first phase of the transformation of The Avenue, a flagship site within the National Coalfields Programme, won the Landscape Sciences category at the 2008 Landscape Institute Awards ceremony in central London as well as an Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (IEEM) Best Practice Award at its annual conference in Glasgow.
East Midlands Development Agency (emda) appointed environmental consultants TEP, via the main technical consultants Jacobs, to carry out the landscape design and ecological works required for the remediation of the site – one of the most contaminated in Europe. TEP has been involved in the regeneration process since 1999 and has worked on the assessment, detailed design, planning submissions, implementation of the works to date and monitoring of the overall remediation scheme for the derelict 98 hectare site. TEP produced the framework for a naturalised river valley parkland with areas for viewpoints, sport, housing and employment, which is due to be completed in 2013.
The scheme is being delivered and managed by emda in partnership with the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) through its National Coalfields Programme.
TEP collected the Landscape Institute Award in recognition of its integration of biodiversity and planning of The Avenue site, which is in the process of successfully being transformed from a contaminated site into a haven for wildlife and plants.
Landscape Institute President Neil Williamson said: “The project demonstrates how several professions can collaborate to plan, design and create a biodiverse landscape from a degraded site. The scheme is founded on a thorough understanding of the site and is an excellent example of what can be achieved by landscape scientists.”
Collecting the award, Francis Hesketh, a partner at TEP, commented: “I am delighted to receive this award on behalf of TEP and emda. It is testament to the commitment of all the partners involved in The Avenue to ensuring the site is remediated in a sustainable way that will benefit future generations.”
emda release press statement about communications and the questionnaire
09 Apr 2008
Local people are being invited by East Midlands Development Agency (emda) to give their views in an effort to find out what individuals, groups and organisations think about The Avenue Coking Works re-development that is currently underway.
A short questionnaire - which will only take a few minutes to complete - has been produced and is now available to download directly from our home page.
The findings will be used to help emda and other partners involved in the project identify ways in which communications about the clean-up and regeneration of the former coking works site in Wingerworth, near Chesterfield in Derbyshire, can be improved.
New Avenue Washlands Promotional Leaflet produced by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust
04 Apr 2008
Derbyshire Wildlife Trust have produced a promotional leaflet about the Avenue Washlands Nature Reserve.
The leaflet gives a lot of information about the History and the wildlife that you can expect to see through the seasons.
Why not get involved and become a DWT volunteer or even sponsor a sheep!
23 Jan 2008
Please click on the attached document to read the latest press release from emda regarding the current status of the project.
Thanks....
Odour Diarists Social Evening....
13 Dec 2007
On the evening of 12th December, a cheese and wine social evening was held for the odour diarists that have contributed this year. A great spread of tasty nibbles and cheeses was put on at the Avenue Visitor Centre along with a selection of wines and soft drinks. All as a thank you for their continued support in providing valuable baseline information for our odour assessment at The Avenue..
Christmas newsletter available on-line.....
13 Dec 2007
The third Avenue newsletter, our Christmas edition, is available to download in adobe format by clicking on the attached document.
Hope you enjoy it!!
Happy Christmas and a great new year..
EMAS Statement now available on-line....
07 Dec 2007
The Avenue Project Team is pleased to announce confirmation of our successful registration with the EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS), click on ’EMS and EMAS’ in the left hand menu for more info.
The full EMAS statement is available to download by clicking on the attached document (see below)....
DWT hold family activities during October half term
20 Nov 2007
Family events were held at The Avenue Visitor Centre for the first time this October half-term by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust (DWT). They were really well attended by many local families, especially the pumpkin party!!
On Tuesday, the activity was ‘All About Owls’. Individuals could discover what types of
owls live in Derbyshire and what they like to eat. Wednesday, was ‘Bring a Mate to Hibernate’,
where families learnt about hibernation and dens were built on the reserve for the children’s toys.
On Thursday morning there was bird watching down on the reserve. DWT provided families
with the use of binoculars and within minutes a beautiful kingfisher was spotted, along
with sightings of a green woodpecker, fieldfare, snipe and yellowhammers.
Thursday afternoon saw families bringing along pumpkins to the visitor centre, where they carved some brilliantly spooky designs. They also had the opportunity to taste pumpkin soup and pumpkin cake, strangely enough the cake
proved to be the most popular!
The Avenue Washlands Nature Reserve throws open its gates…
16 Aug 2007
Derbyshire Wildlife Trust officially opened The Avenue Washlands Nature Reserve as part of the second Avenue Open Day on Friday 3rd August.
Members of the local community and invited guests from Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, Land Restoration Trust, English Partnerships, East Midlands Development Agency, Derbyshire County Council, North East Derbyshire District Council, Chesterfield Borough Council and Tupton Parish Council witnessed a ribbon cutting and tree planting to formally open the new public amenity.
Special guests also included young Derbyshire Wildlife Trust Wardens Sorcha Abbots (who cut the ribbon) and her brother Fergus Abbots who planted a new oak tree at the Washlands Nature Reserve, which is south of Mill Lane at Wingerworth, near Chesterfield. (see pictures).
Members of The Avenue Project Team were again on hand to answer questions from local residents, whilst the circus workshop and face painting entertained the younger visitors.
Bureau Veritas, the air monitoring contractors were in the new Visitor Centre, recruiting odour diarists from the local area to help odour monitoring during the remediation project, which is expected to last up to five years. Meanwhile the team at Derbyshire Wildlife Trust ran family activities including River Dipping, Dragonfly making and Mini-Beasts
The weather was kind on the day, and refreshments were available (thank you to the local church group) in the marquee.
Thank you to all those who attended and we look forward to staging future events over the coming years. Visit the website for updates and details of future Open Days.
25 Jul 2007
The second Avenue Open day will take place on Friday 3rd August 10am to 4pm at the Avenue Visitor Centre off Mill lane.
Everyone is welcome and there will be an opportunity to meet the Project Team and have all of your queries answered. There will be refreshments, face painting, a circus workshop and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust (DWT) will be running wildlife activities all day (these must be pre-booked on 01773 881188). DWT will also be taking the opportunity to officially open the Avenue Washlands Nature Reserve.
So, please come along and we look forward to meeting you on the day!
