Avenue Country Park

The Avenue is one of the most ambitious and effective remediation projects ever undertaken in the UK and is testament to the resilience of nature. 

The site was once home to Avenue Coking Works, which processed 2,175 tonnes of coal daily at its peak. When the plant closed in 1992, it left behind a legacy of contamination—leaky tanks, pipelines, waste tips, tar-filled lagoons, and soil poisoned with cyanide and arsenic. The site remained abandoned until 1999, when the extensive cleanup effort began through the National Coalfield Programme. This ambitious remediation project transformed the 90-hectare area into a thriving green space. 

A masterplan was developed to create nearly 500 new homes alongside a high-quality public park which we see today. The area now features waterways, grasslands, and woodlands, providing a home for wildlife against the backdrop of Chesterfield’s skyline.