" We are really pleased that Sutton Landfill Site will eventually provide additional value to the biodiversity of the area, and will benefit the lives of local people in such a positive way"
Mike Snell, General Manager – External Affairs for WRG
Waste Recycling Group’s Sutton Landfill Site in Nottinghamshire closed this month but a new and exciting era looms for the site. The site, which is located in Sutton Ashfield, is being restored to a country park and will be part of the Greenwood Community Forest.
The landfill has been managed by WRG and its predecessors since 1995, though there has been a landfill site there since the 1920s. Although initial restoration began in 1997, during 2005 a new partnership was formed between the Greenwood Community Forest Partnership and WRG.
The converted site, owned by Nottinghamshire County Council, will provide 58 hectares of country park.
Though grassland was the intended end use under planning consents, WRG says that it is “committed to enhancing the site further and have a more imaginative restoration scheme in mind, which will provide a more exciting landscape”.
Rookery Park
The restored landfill will be known as Rookery Park after the screaming rooks that joined the miners of New Hucknall Colliery on their walk across the locally named “Rookery Walk”.
Part of the area was restored last year thanks to a £100,000 grant from NCC’s Building Better Communities Fund. Over the last two years multi–user paths have been created, easy access gates installed, tree and hedge planting has been completed as well as the creation of a pond. These latter features have been created to provide habitats for a wide variety of wildlife as well as leisure and recreation facilities for people using the park.
In the future the installation of signs and interpretation boards will take place using artwork created by local schools.
Additional funding of £50,000 was also secured from the landfill tax credits distributed by Waste Recycling Environmental Limited (WREN), and £25,000 from Living Spaces, a scheme funded by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to help local people improve their local environment.
On the west side of the park, is an area where mixed grassland, woodland, ponds and ditches have been developed over time. Once the landfill has settled following restoration proper, WRG says that there will be substantial amounts of trees planted and paths will be installed linking to the network of paths over the whole area, to create a route around the park and out into the countryside beyond.
Nic Wort, Project Development Officer for Greenwood, said:
“Now that the landfill site is closing, we are looking forward to seeing the restoration plans becoming a reality. The restored landfill site will more than double the size of Rookery Park and will provide visitors with a real sense of space and give some wonderful views over the surrounding countryside.”
Mike Snell, General Manager – External Affairs for WRG, commented:
“We are really pleased that Sutton Landfill Site will eventually provide additional value to the biodiversity of the area, and will benefit the lives of local people in such a positive way.”
Further information
Greenwood is Nottinghamshire's Community Forest, and with a working partnership is transforming the local landscape to make it a greener and healthier place to be - on the doorsteps of over a million people living in and around the towns of Nottinghamshire. It is a partnership initiative of the Countryside Agency, Forestry Commission, Ashfield, Mansfield, Newark and Sherwood District Councils, Broxtowe and Gedling Borough Councils, Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County Council
Waste Recycling Group Limited, a leading UK waste management and energy recovery company, is part of Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas (FCC) the international construction and services group.
WRG handles some 13 million tonnes of household, commercial and industrial waste per annum. The Company operates facilities for the reception, recycling and disposal of waste, including a network of waste transfer and recycling centres and a regional network of landfill sites. WRG also manages nearly 70 recycling sites on behalf of local authorities for use by the general public.