play_arrow

keyboard_arrow_right

Listeners:

Top listeners:

skip_previous skip_next
00:00 00:00
chevron_left
Go to album
  • cover play_arrow

    Erewash Sound Love Music - Love Erewash

  • cover play_arrow

    A cultural Celebration party is about to start at Derby Theatre Erewash Sound

Kirk Hallam

3 Results / Page 1 of 1

Plans to build homes bordering a widely contaminated historic former Derbyshire industrial site are set for approval. At an Erewash Borough Council meeting next week, councillors are being recommended to approve plans for 82 homes next to the former Oakwell Brickworks, between Ilkeston, Kirk Hallam and Stanton, stemming off Derby Road. If approved, part of the heavily contaminated former brickworks would be built on, but just for a flood water collection pond, not for homes. The Grade-II listed and heavily dilapidated former Hoffman kiln at the centre of the former brickworks site would not be affected. Residents remain concerned about what potential impact the proposed development could have on the hazardous waste deposited on the brickworks site. Meanwhile, experts, including the Mining Remediation Authority, while not objecting, say “intrusive” site investigation works followed by any required remediation, must take place before work starts. Further officials say investigations to date have been “limited in scope” and need to be re-explored in depth. Documents submitted by the developers, Waterville Land Ltd, found “there was a low risk to future residents from any potential on-site and off-site sources of contaminants”. The area which forms part of the former brickworks, which is to be used for a floodwater drainage pond, “was not investigated due to the presence of a sewer and dense vegetation”. It details: “However, no signs of raised ground were observed, and as this area is proposed for public open space this is unlikely to present a significant risk. It is recommended that additional investigation is undertaken once the area has been cleared.” Comments from the borough council’s housing and policy teams list their support for the scheme, utilising land in the Ilkeston urban area and inclusion of 15 per cent affordable housing – 12 two-bed houses. A total of 11 objection letters have been submitted by residents, opposing the potential harm to widespread wildlife and the landscape, road safety issues, increased congestion, lack of infrastructure such as health and school facilities, and concern over contamination and associated health risks. Council officers, recommending approval, said: “Inevitably, the development of this site will result in many changes for those residents who live nearby. The site is currently undeveloped and the development of 82 dwellings will result in physical and visual changes to the area and will result in more noise than has been previously experienced from the site. “However, it is considered that the development has been designed such that the impact arising would not result in unacceptable harm to the residential amenity of surrounding properties. “The applicant has supplemented their initial eight boreholes with a further five along the boundary with the former brick pit. “These found no evidence that the brick pit extended onto this land, no evidence that there is made ground on this land from the brick pit, and no evidence that any contamination associated with the brick pit is leaching onto this development site. “The applicants therefore conclude that they consider the development site to fall in the lowest risk category for contamination.” The developers have committed to providing £162,000 for improvements at Field House Infant School, £153,000 for improvements at Ormiston Ilkeston Enterprise Academy, £82,000 for improvements at nearby healthcare facilities and £5,700 for Ilkeston Library stock. If approved, the breakdown of house sizes would be: 35 two-bed houses, 45 three-bed houses and two four-bed houses. The site’s history stretches back more than 100 years, during which it has been mined for coal, become a dumping site of harmful and toxic materials, seen widespread fly-tipping of asbestos, been a storage space and tip for World War Two bombs – as well as a renowned brickworks. Contamination fears have consistently stalled housing plans on the overall former brickworks, with the borough council having earmarked the site for 519 houses and a further 138 on adjoining plots in 2012. Much of the land was used for the dumping of offshoots from the Stanton Ironworks nearby – the firm had bought the brickworks in 1919 and later merged it fully with its own operations. Ground investigation expert RSK was commissioned to look into the site by owners Tata Steel. It noted that Stanton had filled clay pits on the site with blast furnace and concrete slurry, oil residue, coke grit, ammonia and sulphur building waste including foundry sand, spent lime and asbestos-containing materials. RSK found that the “main contaminant of concern” was lead while there were also “elevated concentrations” of arsenic, cyanide and benzo(a)pyrene (a material found in coal tar and tobacco which causes cancer). It said that asbestos material has also been found in samples and seen on the site from historic and current fly-tipping issues.
insert_link

Borough Wide

Plans for homes bordering widely contaminated historic former Erewash industrial site set for approval

By Eddie Bisknell - Local Democracy Reporting Service Plans to build homes bordering a widely contaminated historic former Derbyshire industrial site are set for approval. At an Erewash Borough Council meeting next week, councillors are being recommended to approve plans for 82 homes next to the former Oakwell Brickworks, between Ilkeston, Kirk Hallam and Stanton, stemming off Derby Road. If approved, part of the heavily contaminated former brickworks would be built on, but just for a flood water collection pond, […]

today7 January 2026 14

Kirk Hallam

What's Happening In Kirk Hallam?

Something going on in Kirk Hallam? Tell us about it so that we can tell the rest of Kirk Hallam and Erewash! E-mail your news to info(at)erewashsound.co.uk - just change the (at) for a '@' sign when you send the e-mail and we'll post your story on line here on our next and future weekly updates!

today5 February 2010

103.5 & 96.8 FM

LOVE MUSIC

LOVE EREWASH

Facebook Instagram Linkedin

Erewash Sound, The Media Centre, 37 Vernon Street, Ilkeston, DE7 8PD

© Copyright 2026 Erewash Sound CIC. All Rights Reserved. Company Number 6658171.